hankyoreh

Lee Joo-tae (right)

North Korean athletes and representatives will be arriving in South Korea through the Gyeongui railway line on Mar. 7 to attend the Pyeongchang Winter Paralympics on Mar. 9–18. South and North Korea made the agreement about North Korea’s participation in Pyeongchang Paralympics during working-level talks on the morning of Feb. 27 at the Tongilgak Pavilion on the North Korean side of Panmunjeom, the South Korean Ministry of Unification announced later that day.

North Korea indicated an interest in sending a delegation of four representatives and 20 athletes, with the final number of participants to be decided upon discussions with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The North Korean delegation is to be led by Hwang Chung-song, director-general of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland along with three other officials.

At inter-Korean working-level talks on Jan. 17, the two sides previously agreed on a plan for North Korea to send around 150 people to the Paralympics, including representatives, athletes, performers, cheerleaders, and journalists. But the joint report issued on Feb. 27 did not mention the sending of a cheerleading squad or performers.

The Ministry of Unification said North Korea “appears to recognize the participation of its performers and cheerleading squad at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics as having already contributed to some extent in sustaining a climate of improvement in inter-Korean relations.”

Observers are also watching to see whether Chosun Sport Association for the Disabled secretary-general Ri Bun-hui is included in the North Korean delegation. Ri was previously part of a winning unified Korean team with Hyun Jung-hwa in the women’s team event at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships. The Ministry of Unification said the question of Ri’s visit had “not yet been decided.”

By Noh Ji-won, staff reporter

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]