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North Korea agrees to send athletes to Winter Olympics after talks with South North Korea agrees to send athletes to Winter Olympics after talks with South
(about 7 hours later)
North Korea will send athletes and cheerleaders to next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, after the two countries held their first official talks for more than two years.North Korea will send athletes and cheerleaders to next month’s Winter Olympics in South Korea, after the two countries held their first official talks for more than two years.
The North Korean party will also include performing artists and journalists, South Korea’s vice unification minister, Chun Hae-sung, said after the first session of talks ended on Tuesday.The North Korean party will also include performing artists and journalists, South Korea’s vice unification minister, Chun Hae-sung, said after the first session of talks ended on Tuesday.
Chun added that South Korea had proposed that the two Koreas march together during the opening and closing ceremonies at the Pyeongchang Games, which open on 9 February.Chun added that South Korea had proposed that the two Koreas march together during the opening and closing ceremonies at the Pyeongchang Games, which open on 9 February.
The North may have found a way to make a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a missile, but firing one at the South is likely to provoke retaliation in kind, which would end the regime. The North may have found a way to make a nuclear warhead small enough to put on a missile, but firing one at the South is likely to provoke retaliation in kind, which would end the regime. 
Pyongyang has enough conventional artillery to do significant damage to Seoul, but the quality of its gunners and munitions is dubious, and the same problem – retaliation from the South and its allies - remains.Pyongyang has enough conventional artillery to do significant damage to Seoul, but the quality of its gunners and munitions is dubious, and the same problem – retaliation from the South and its allies - remains.
In the event of a non-nuclear attack, Seoul's residents would act on years of experience of civil defence drills, and rush to the bomb shelters dotted around the city, increasing their chances of survival.In the event of a non-nuclear attack, Seoul's residents would act on years of experience of civil defence drills, and rush to the bomb shelters dotted around the city, increasing their chances of survival.
The agreement represents a cautious diplomatic breakthrough after months of rising tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.The agreement represents a cautious diplomatic breakthrough after months of rising tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.
The five-member North Korean delegation travelled to the border in a motorcade and then walked across the military demarcation line into the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom at around 9.30 am local time. The village straddles the demilitarised zone (DMZ), the heavily armed border that has separated the two Koreas for more than six decades. The two sides also agreed to reopen a military hotline that has been dormant since February 2016. Communications are expected to resume on Wednesday.
Seoul called for discussions between the countries’ Red Cross organisations, as well as military talks designed to reduce the chances of a conflict breaking out due to an accident or miscalculation.
“Let’s present the people with a precious new year’s gift,” said Ri Son-gwon, chairman of the North’s committee for the peaceful reunification of the fatherland and head of the country’s delegation. “There is a saying that a journey taken by two lasts longer than the one travelled alone.”
South Korea’s unification minister, Cho Myoung-gyon, told Ri that Seoul believed “guests from the North are going to join many others from all around the world” at Pyeongchang. “The people have a strong desire to see the North and South move towards peace and reconciliation,” he said.
The North Korean delegation travelled to the border in a motorcade and then walked across the military demarcation line into the southern side of the truce village of Panmunjom at around 9.30 am local time. The village straddles the demilitarised zone (DMZ), the heavily armed border that has separated the two Koreas for more than six decades.
As the two sides sat down for their first face-to-face talks since December 2015, North Korean media hit back at Donald Trump’s claim that his tough stance against Pyongyang had facilitated the Olympic negotiations.As the two sides sat down for their first face-to-face talks since December 2015, North Korean media hit back at Donald Trump’s claim that his tough stance against Pyongyang had facilitated the Olympic negotiations.
The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party, said Trump’s claim that sanctions and pressure on the regime had brought him “diplomatic success” during his first year in the White House was “ridiculous sophism”.The Rodong Sinmun, the newspaper of the ruling Workers’ party, said Trump’s claim that sanctions and pressure on the regime had brought him “diplomatic success” during his first year in the White House was “ridiculous sophism”.
Media reports said Tuesday’s meeting was adjourned at 12.20 pm local time, after more than two hours of discussions, and would resume later in the afternoon. Discussions focused on North Korean participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Games, but included other inter-Korean issues such as the resumption of reunions between family members who were separated at the end of the 1950-53 Korean war. South Korea has suggested holding reunions during the Lunar New Year holidays next month.
Reuters reported that South Korean negotiators had also proposed military talks designed to ease tensions on the peninsula and reduce the chances of a conflict breaking out due to an accident or miscalculation. The two sides will have to work out details such as the size of the North Korean delegation, which is expected to be dominated by members of the country’s female cheerleading group.
Discussions have focused on North Korean participation in the Pyeongchang Winter Games, but are also thought to have included other inter-Korean issues such as the resumption of reunions between family members who were separated at the end of the 1950-53 Korean war. South Korea has suggested holding reunions during the Lunar New Year holidays next month, according to media reports. The North Korean party could spend the Games staying on a cruise ship in Sokcho, about an hour’s drive from the Olympic venue, enabling the hosts to closely monitor their guests.
“Today, North and South Korea will engage in talks in a serious and sincere stance,” said Ri Son Gwon, chairman of the North’s committee for the peaceful reunification of the fatherland and head of the country’s delegation ahead of the talks. “They will go well.” South Korean media said the delegation could include Kim Yo-Jong, the younger sister of the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, in her capacity as a senior official in the ruling party.
The South Korean unification minister, Cho Myoung-gyon, said: “We will make efforts to make the Pyeongchang games and the Paralympics a ‘peace festival’ and help it serve as the first step toward an improvement in inter-Korean ties … We will not be in a hurry and we will hold the talks in a calm manner.” South Korea risks angering the US and Japan, however, if, as some have speculated, it has to lift travel bans against several North Korean officials who plan to attend the Games. A foreign ministry spokesman said Seoul would take “prior steps” in tandem with the UN security council to allow the officials to cross the border.
China’s foreign ministry said it was “pleased to see this high-level talk between the two sides, while a Kremlin spokesman said: “This is exactly the kind of dialogue that we said was necessary.”
The two Koreas previously made joint entrances to Olympics opening and closing ceremonies in Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.The two Koreas previously made joint entrances to Olympics opening and closing ceremonies in Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004 and at the 2006 Winter Games in Turin.
Preparation for the resumption of high-level dialogue – albeit focusing on sport rather than security – have proceeded at breakneck speed since New Year’s Day, when the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un, said he hoped the Pyeongchang games would be a success, adding that he was willing to discuss North Korean participation. Preparation for the resumption of high-level dialogue – albeit focusing on sport rather than security – have proceeded at breakneck speed since New Year’s Day, when Kim Jong-un said he was willing to discuss North Korean participation in the Games.
That was quickly followed by the reopening of a cross-border hotline that had not been used for almost two years.That was quickly followed by the reopening of a cross-border hotline that had not been used for almost two years.
The North agreed to meet on Tuesday after Seoul and Washington said they would delay joint military exercises until after the Winter Paralympics end on 18 March.The North agreed to meet on Tuesday after Seoul and Washington said they would delay joint military exercises until after the Winter Paralympics end on 18 March.
North Korea regards the drills, which the allies say are designed to demonstrate their overwhelming conventional firepower, as a rehearsal for an invasion and has often cited them as an obstacle to dialogue.North Korea regards the drills, which the allies say are designed to demonstrate their overwhelming conventional firepower, as a rehearsal for an invasion and has often cited them as an obstacle to dialogue.
Katina Adams, a spokeswoman for the US state department, did not respond directly to suggestions that the two Koreas could march under a single flag at the Pyeongchang opening ceremony and possibly compete as a single nation in some events.Katina Adams, a spokeswoman for the US state department, did not respond directly to suggestions that the two Koreas could march under a single flag at the Pyeongchang opening ceremony and possibly compete as a single nation in some events.
The US, Adams added, remained “clear-eyed about [North Korea’s] track record when it comes to negotiations”, and added: “Time will tell if this is a genuine gesture.” The US, Adams said, remained “clear-eyed about [North Korea’s] track record when it comes to negotiations”, and added: “Time will tell if this is a genuine gesture.”