Warm Welcome for Koreas at IOC in Frigid Lausanne

(ATR) On a Saturday morning with the temperature near freezing, North and South Korean Olympic leaders received a warm welcome at IOC headquarters in Lausanne for a meeting on the participation of the North in the PyeongChang Winter Games.

International Olympic Committee international relations director Pere Miro greeted each of the delegates as they arrived in a parade of luxury sedans over the course of an hour, with IOC President Thomas Bach the first to arrive at 8:45 sharp.

As the nearly 50-member press corps awaited the arrivals, the North Korean and South Korean flags fell at the same time due to the high winds swirling off Lake Geneva – a possible good omen for the talks now underway.

The reception by the media throng surrounding the entrance of IOC headquarters entrance became more aggressive as cameras swarmed the vehicles and tried to elicit comment from the delegates upon arrival.

Once all delegates had arrived, the group posed for "family photos" ahead of today’s talks.

First, Bach posed with IOC members from North and South Korea Ung Chang and Seung Min Ryu, National Olympic Committee leaders Il Guk Kim (DPRK) and Kee Heung Lee (ROK), PyeongChang 2018 President Hee Beom Lee, Winter Olympic Federations (AIOWF) President Gian-Franco Kasper and PyeongChang 2018 Coordination Commission chair Gunilla Lindberg.

Next, all representatives from each of the countries and IOC staff joined the Olympic leaders in the main entrance of the headquarters with pool coverage by the media.

President Bach recognized the tense political situation that has persisted on the Korean peninsula for more than 60 years during his welcoming remarks to the delegations. But he expressed optimism that the first Winter Olympics in Korea will help bring peace to the region.

"To address this sometimes fast-changing political situation in a holistic and comprehensive way, the IOC has, since 2014, met separately with each of you," Bach said. "Today is a great moment for the Olympic Movement, because the Olympic spirit has brought us all together. The Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 have opened the door for peaceful dialogue on the Korean peninsula.

"Our meeting today shows that Olympic sport always builds bridges. I am confident that we can achieve positive results in our discussions today," he concluded.

The high-level meeting between North and South Korea to determine North Korea’s participation at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics is already nearly finished according to IOC staff. Meetings between the IOC and each of the countries’ representatives lasted late into the evening Friday to lay the groundwork for today’s negotiations.

A number of proposals are on the table for North Korea to join the Winter Games in February. These include the two countries marching under a unified Korean flag at the Opening Ceremony Feb. 9, the creation of an inter-Korean women’s ice hockey team – an Olympic first – and the sending of large numbers of North Korean cheerleaders, musicians and taekwondo demonstrators to support the select athletes who could participate in the Olympics.

Once the meeting concludes, Bach, the NOC Presidents of the two countries and PyeongChang 2018 President Lee will travel to the nearby Olympic Museum to report on the talks. More than 100 members of the media are covering the meeting.

While many details remain to be sorted, North Korea’s participation at PyeongChang 2018 seems to be but a formality.

Reported and written by Kevin Nutley in Lausanne.

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