(ATR) Another joint meeting of North and South Korean officials could precede the Jan. 20 talks in Lausanne organized by the International Olympic Committee.
According to a text message sent to news agencies by South Korean Unification Minister Myoung Gyon Cho, a third round of inter-Korean talks was requested by North Korean officials for Wednesday, Jan. 17 at the Panmunjom Peace Village located in the Demilitarized Zone between North and South Korea.
Cho said the talks will focus on the North Korean athlete representation at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics that begin in February. Questions still remain about the size of the athlete delegation, whether the countries will march as one in the PyeongChang Opening Ceremony and the possibility of a joint Korean women’s ice hockey team competing in the Games.
However, the IOC tells Around the Rings that despite another round of talks about participation in the Olympics, nothing will be finalized until the IOC meeting with National Olympic Committee leaders from each country.
"All questions about the participation of DPRK and their athletes in PyeongChang 2018 will be discussed on 20 January," an IOC spokesperson said.
The proposed talks on Wednesday follow the decision during the second round of inter-Korean talks Jan. 15 to send a 140-member orchestra from North Korea to the Games in South Korea.
If a joint Korean ice hockey team is approved by the countries, the IOC and the International Ice Hockey Federation, it would mark the first time the two Koreas competed as one in the Olympics. North and South Korean athletes have competed together twice in international competition, both in 1991 at the World Table Tennis Championships and FIFA World Youth Championships.
The IIHF has yet to respond to ATR’s requests for comment about the possibility of the joint Korean ice hockey team.
South Korean women's hockey coach Sarah Murray spoke with journalists at Incheon International airport saying she only heard about the proposal from the media, according to reports. Murray doubted that any North Korean ice hockey players could add to the talent of her team. She mentioned two or three players from the North Korean squad that would help, but worried about the size of the squad sprawling out of control.
"I do like the idea of adding a bit of competition to the lines but it's different adding players this close to the Olympics rather than doing it two or three years ago," Murray said, as quoted by Yonhap. "It's a very tough situation. It's definitely a good story to have our teams come together through sports. I just wish it would have happened earlier."
North and South Korea marching as a unified country in the Opening Ceremony seems a more likely possibility at this point. The two countries have marched together at nine international competitions, including the Olympics of Sydney 2000, Athens 2004 and Turin 2006 and multiple Asian Games.
The PyeongChang 2018 Olympics begin Feb. 9 and conclude Feb. 25.
Written by Miguel Hernandez with editing by Kevin Nutley
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