N Korean ceremonial leader to visit S Korea

Seoul [South Korea], Feb. 04 (ANI): North Korea's ceremonial leader Kim Yong-nam will embark on a three-day visit to South Korea on February 9, South Korea's unification ministry said on Sunday.

The North announced in a statement that Yong-nam will be arriving at Pyeongchang for attending the Winter Olympics and will head a 22-member delegation, which included three delegates and 18 supportive staffers, the Yonhap news agency reported.

Earlier in the day, Chang Ung, North Korea's representative on the International Olympic Committee (IOC), arrived in Seoul to attend the 132nd IOC session at Gangneung, near Pyeongchang.

United States President Donald Trump wished his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in for the successful conduct of winter games.

Earlier this month, North and South Korea agreed to field a joint women's ice hockey team and also march together under a unified Korea flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.

North Korea will send 24 officials, including coaches, alongside the 22 athletes in three sports and five disciplines.

The last time, the two Koreas marched together was the 2007 Asian Winter Games in Changchun in China.

North Korea has never participated in an Olympic Games in South Korea. Seoul, which hosted the Summer Olympics in 1988 was boycotted by North Korea.

Also, the two countries have never had a unified team in any sport at the Olympics before.

The winter games will take place from February 9 to 25 while the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics will be held between March 8 to 18. (ANI)