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including figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik

Following the announcement that Kim Yong-nam, the president of the Presidium of the North Korean Supreme People's Assembly, will be leading a delegation of high-level North Korean officials to South Korea from Feb. 9 to 11, attention is focusing on the possibility of a meeting between the delegation and South Korean President Moon Jae-in and the courtesy that will be shown to the delegation.

During a press briefing on Feb. 5, Blue House spokesperson Kim Eui-kyum welcomed Kim’s visit. “This is the first time that Kim Yong-nam, North Korea’s constitutional head of state, will be visiting South Korea, and he’s the highest-ranking North Korean official to visit the South to date,” Kim Eui-kyum said.

“As the country hosting the Olympics, we will warmly and respectfully welcome the high-ranking North Korean delegation, including Kim Yong-nam, and we will be preparing various opportunities for communication, including talks with high-ranking North Korean officials,” the spokesperson went on to say.

“We will be giving Kim Yong-nam the courtesy due a state leader. We’re planning to continue discussing the specifics with North Korea.”

During Kim Yong-nam’s visit to South Korea, he is likely to encounter South Korean President Moon Jae-in at an Olympic stadium or event venue. So far, the Blue House said that Kim is planning to attend an official reception presided over by Moon prior to the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics’ opening ceremony on Feb. 9. Kim is also expected to make an appearance at the opening ceremony itself (Feb. 9), a qualifying round game for the inter-Korean unified women’s hockey team (Feb. 10) and a concert by North Korea’s Samjiyon musical performance group at the National Theater of Korea in Seoul (Feb. 11). If Moon attends these events as well, it could naturally lead to a meeting between the two.

But when asked about plans for a meeting between Moon and Kim, the Blue House said, “The president and his staff are currently discussing the formality and agenda of the meeting. We’ll announce our plans once they’re finalized.” The most likely plan for now is for Moon to meet the North Korean delegation at the Blue House. While Moon is expected to have a group meeting with the entire North Korean delegation, it also remains possible that he could have a private meeting with Kim as part of this event.

Even if Moon and Kim do hold a private meeting, it is unlikely to be called a “summit.” When former South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun met Kim Yong-nam in Pyongyang prior to his summit with former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il in 2007, the terms used were “meeting,” and “talks.”

North Korean athletes

By Kim Bo-hyeop, staff reporter

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