South to support N. Korean athletes trip to Incheon Asian Games

Posted on : 2014-08-27 16:02 KST Modified on : 2019-10-19 20:29 KST
Further negotiations on participation in games between South and North will be made by exchanging documents

By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter

The South Korean government announced on Aug. 26 that it would support the North Korean delegation of athletes participating in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon in order to ensure that the games proceed as planned.

"We had a letter from the organizing committee of the Asian Games delivered to North Korea today using communication channels at Panmunjeom Peace Village. The letter contained our acceptance of North Korea’s proposal about the size of the group of athletes, and we stated that there are no problems with the athletes traveling between North and South Korea using the direct air route over the West [Yellow] Sea,” a Ministry of Unification official said on Tuesday morning.

On Aug. 22, North Korea sent a document to the South detailing the proposed number of athletes and staff (273) who will take part in the Asian Games. Officials from North and South Korea agreed that henceforth they would discuss the North’s participation in the games by exchanging documents.

Asked whether the South would be covering the cost of the North Korean athletes’ visit, a government official said, “We did not specifically state that we will cover such costs, but we said that we will consider it from the point of view of providing the support necessary to ensure that the North Korean athletes are able to participate in the game without any obstacles.”

This represents a considerable retreat from the government’s previous stance that it would only provide support for some of the athletes according to international practices and tournament regulations.

The letter sent on Tuesday did not contain any mention of the North Korean cheering squad.

 

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