North Korea’s Olympic representative yesterday said the nation was “likely to participate” in next month’s Winter Games in South Korea, Kyodo news agency reported, in the latest sign of a thaw in Korean tensions.
North Korean representative to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Chang Ung’s comments come a day after the North and South agreed to hold rare talks next week and hours after Seoul and Washington announced they would postpone joint military exercises that rile North Korea.
The Japanese news agency said Chang made the brief comment to reporters during a stopover at Beijing Capital International Airport.
Photo: AP
Kyodo said Chang was believed to be traveling to Switzerland, where the IOC is based.
It quoted unnamed sources saying the trip might be aimed at meeting with the IOC to discuss the North’s potential participation in the Games at Pyeongchang.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said in a new year speech that his country wished success for the Olympics, to be held from Feb. 9 to Feb. 25, and would consider sending a delegation.
The two Koreas have been separated by the world’s most heavily militarism border since the Korean War ended in a stalemate in 1953.
Seoul and Games’ organizers are keen for the North to take part in the Games to help ease worsening tensions on the Korean Peninsula stemming from Kim’s confrontation with the world over his country’s nuclear and missile programs.
In recent months, North Korea has held multiple missile launches and its sixth and most powerful nuclear test — purportedly of a hydrogen bomb — in violation of UN resolutions banning such activity by the reclusive nation.
The region has been further rattled by tit-for-tat threats and insults between Kim and US President Donald Trump.
However, the new year has witnessed a marked softening of tone on both sides. Seoul has reacted warmly to Kim’s Olympic overture and the two Koreas this past week restored a cross-border hotline that had been shut down since 2016 and agreed to hold high-level talks next week — the first since 2015.
Those talks are expected to focus on matters including the North’s Olympic participation.
Also in recent days, the US and South Korea agreed to delay their joint military exercises until after the Olympics, apparently to ease the situation with Pyongyang.
The regular joint drills have been criticized as adding to regional tensions, particularly by Beijing and Moscow who have both called for them to be suspended.
New Taipei Kings guard Jeremy Lin on Friday was named the Taiwan Professional Basketball League’s (TPBL) Player of the Month, the first domestic player to win the award, while the Hsinchu Toplus Lioneers are to welcome their third head coach in less than a year. Lin averaged 22 points, 5.4 rebounds and 6.6 assists over five games in October and last month, helping the Kings to second in the standings with a 4-2 record as of Friday. The Kings last night defeated the Lioneers 96-78 to move level with the top-of-the-table Formosa Dreamers (5-2), while in the night game, the New Taipei
‘REMARKABLE’: Gaelic football is a traditional Irish sport that blends the skills of soccer and rugby, and hurling is an ancient sport played with a wooden stick and ‘sliotar’ The Taiwan Celts Gaelic Football Club marked a milestone achievement at the Asian Gaelic Games in Bangkok on Nov. 23 and 24, with two sides advancing to the knockout stages and competing at hurling for the first time. The event brought together 68 teams from 16 clubs across Asia, with more than 800 players in men’s and women’s tournaments. Gaelic football is a traditional Irish team sport that blends the skills of soccer, rugby union and basketball. Hurling is an ancient Irish sport played with a wooden stick, called a hurley, and a small ball, or sliotar. The Taiwan Celts’ women’s team reached
LIVERPOOL WIN: The 50th Champions League goal by Mohamed Salah helped the leaders of the Premier League to keep their perfect record intact Real Madrid’s big stars on Tuesday turned on the style to revive the Spanish giant’s faltering UEFA Champions League title defense. Galacticos Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham all scored in a thrilling 3-2 win against Serie A leaders Atalanta BC. However, Madrid still had to ride their luck as Mateo Retegui fired over from in front of goal in stoppage-time when handed a golden chance to level the game. It was only Madrid’s third win in the competition’s revamped league phase and leaves the 15-time champions in the unseeded playoff positions in 18th place. “It’s a very important win. Not everyone wins
TO NO AVAIL: The Denver Nuggets’ Serbian center Nikola Jokic surpassed his 53-point performance in the 2023 Western Conference semi-finals against Phoenix The Washington Wizards withstood a 56-point explosion from Denver star Nikola Jokic to beat the Nuggets 122-113 on Saturday and snap their 16-game NBA losing streak. Jokic, who won his third NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award last season, posted a career scoring high — surpassing a 53-point performance in game four of the 2023 Western Conference semi-finals against Phoenix and a 50-point regular-season best against Sacramento in 2021. The Serbian big man added 16 rebounds and eight assists, but it was all to no avail as Washington, buoyed by 39 points from Jordan Poole, won for the first time
RSS