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North and South Korea discuss sending art troupe to Winter Olympics | North and South Korea discuss sending art troupe to Winter Olympics |
(about 2 hours later) | |
North and South Korea are holding further talks on the North's plan to attend the Winter Olympics Games. | |
North Korea agreed last week to send a delegation to the Games in the South, easing months of tensions between the neighbours. | |
But the details of the diplomatically complicated plan are still being ironed out. | |
The latest talks are focusing on the artistic troupe the North would like to send to South Korea. | |
The two sides are meeting in the shared border village of Panmunjom in the demilitarised zone (DMZ), also known as the truce village. | |
The two sides were expected to discuss details including the number of performers, their travel route and their schedules, according to South Korea's Yonhap news agency. | |
Four delegates from each side were scheduled to attend, with the North's delegation including Hyon Song-wol, the leader of the popular all-female pop group, the Moranbong Band. | |
Moranbong: Pyongyang's propaganda girl band | Moranbong: Pyongyang's propaganda girl band |
Monday's meeting is for working level talks - with lower ranking officials - rather than the breakthrough high level talks of last week. | |
At last week's high level inter-Korean talks, the first in more than two years, Pyongyang said it wanted to send athletes, cheerleaders, an art troupe and a taekwondo team to the Winter Olympics taking place from 9-25 February in Pyeongchang. | |
Next Saturday, both sides will also meet the International Olympics Committee in Switzerland, to discuss the details of North Korea's involvement. | |
Only two North Korean athletes currently qualify for the Games - figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik. | Only two North Korean athletes currently qualify for the Games - figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik. |
North Korea has participated in several Olympics Games before, but not in South Korea. It boycotted the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. | North Korea has participated in several Olympics Games before, but not in South Korea. It boycotted the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul. |
Seoul has proposed that athletes from both the North and South march jointly together in the opening ceremony. North Korea is said to be "positively" considering this. | |
The South has also suggested a unified Korean team for the women's hockey tournament. | |
Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon said the North was "expected to respond to the proposal soon". | |
'Big credit' | |
Tensions on the Korean peninsula have been high for months amid North Korea's continued nuclear programme and frequent ballistic missile tests. | |
The latest test, on 28 November, sparked a new series of measures from the UN, targeting petrol shipments and travel for North Koreans. | |
US President Donald Trump and North Korea's Kim Jong-un have also conducted an increasingly bitter feud, with the US leader dubbing Mr Kim "Rocket Man" and both boasting about their nuclear capabilities. | |
Last week, Pyongyang criticised South Korean leader Moon Jae-in after he said Mr Trump deserved "big credit" for the North-South talks. | |
It indirectly threatened to pull out of the Olympics, with state media outlet KCNA saying: "[South Korea] should know that train and bus carrying our delegation to the Olympics are still in Pyongyang." | |
"The South Korean authorities had better ponder over what unfavourable results may be entailed by their impolite behaviour." |