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In Dec. 30 footage on North Korea’s state-run Korean Central Television of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un’s attendance of a celebratory performance at the 5th Conference of Party Cell Chairs

During his personally delivered New Year’s address, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un expressed his hope that the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics would be a success and declared his willingness to take the necessary measures, such as sending a delegation to South Korea. The delegation that Kim mentioned would presumably include International Olympic Committee member Jang Ung, National Sports Guidance Committee chairman (NSGC) Choe Hwi and Minister of Sports Kim Il-guk.

North Korea created the NSGC during an expanded meeting of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Korean Workers’ Party (KWP) on Nov. 4, 2012. This special agency is designed to turn North Korea into an athletic powerhouse by popularizing sports and by training talented athletes. The committee’s first chair was Jang Song-thaek, then vice chairman of the National Defense Committee. After Jang was purged in 2013, the position was filled by KWP Vice Chairman Choe Ryong-hae. Choe Hwi has served as chair since Dec. 2017.

In July 2016, North Korea sent a high-level delegation to the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, led by Choe Ryong-hae, while he was still NSGC chair. The North also sent its three highest-ranking officials (under Kim Jong-un) to the closing ceremony of the Incheon Asian Games in Oct. 2014: Hwang Pyong-so, head of the General Political Bureau of the Korean People’s Army; Choe Ryong-hae, NSGC chairman and KWP secretary; and Kim Yang-gon, director of the United Front Department.

Some expect that North Korea might send not only athletic leaders but also political figures to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, just as it did for the Incheon Asian Games.

“At least one politician will be there. It might be KWP Vice Chairman Choe Ryong-hae [the second most-powerful figure in North Korea] or Kim Jong-un’s younger sister KWP Vice Director Kim Yo-jong,” said Kim Yong-hyeon, professor at Dongguk University.

“If North Korea means to improve relations through inter-Korean dialogue, it might send Choi Ryong-hae, KWP Vice Chairman Pak Gwang-ho or United Front Department Director Kim Yong-chol,” said Jung Seong-jang, chief of unification and strategic research at the Sejong Institute.

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

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