North Korea to Send Delegation to South for Olympics

North and South Korea have agreed to hold military talks in an effort to improve relations. The agreement was announced Tuesday after North and South representatives held their first official talks in more than two years. The two sides said in a joint statement they have decided to "defuse the current military tension and to hold military talks to address the issue." North Korea also said it plans to take part in the 2018 Winter Olympics. The games are to be held next month in PyeongChang, South Korea.  The agreements came after discussions between North and South Korean representatives in the border village of Panmunjom. The talks were aimed, in part, at getting North Korea involved in the PyeongChang Olympics. Another goal was to reduce tensions over the North’s nuclear activities and missile development program. Officials in Seoul and Pyongyang were able to watch the meeting through a closed circuit television connection. New Year’s gift The head of the North Korean delegation in Panmunjom, Ri Son Gwon, expressed hope at the start of the talks. “We came to this meeting today with a serious and sincere attitude and with the thought of giving our brethren … invaluable results as the first present of the year," he said. South Korean Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon led his country’s delegation at the talks. He expressed hope that the meeting will lead to more discussions and cooperation between the two sides. Olympic cooperation At the talks, North Korea agreed to send a delegation to the 2018 Olympics. The delegates are to include high-level government officials, Olympic athletes, cheerleaders, and a Taekwondo demonstration team. Currently only two North Korean figure skaters have met international requirements for competing at the winter games. Although North Korea missed the closing date for countries sending a team to the games, the International Olympic Committee could still extend invitations to compete. The South Korean government proposed that the Olympic teams from the two Koreas march together in the opening ceremony.  Proposals to ease tension South Korea also proposed setting up talks to organize reunions of families separated since the Korean War. It said those discussions could take place during the Olympics, around Lunar New Year's holiday. South Korean officials also proposed military talks with North Korea. They noted the need to negotiate a nuclear weapons deal with the North to bring peace to the Korean peninsula. Talks between the two sides about the Olympics already succeeded in reopening direct contacts between North and South Korea. Communication links were cut in early 2016 after a North Korean nuclear test and rocket launch. Since taking office in May of 2017, South Korean President Moon Jae-in has tried to re-establish contacts with North Korea. But he also has supported strong sanctions against the North as punishment for developing nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.  Allies guarded The United States has expressed guarded support for the discussions between North and South Korea. The U.S. government agreed to postpone joint military exercises with South Korea until after the Olympic Games. In the past, U.S. President Donald Trump described negotiations with the North Korean government as useless. But this week, he called the new talks "a good thing" that came as a result of a "firm, strong" position. Trump also said that the U.S. would get involved in the negotiations "at the appropriate time.” But the State Department has voiced concern that North Korea might try to break up the alliance between the U.S. and South Korea. And it said the North might weaken U.S.-led efforts to force North Korea to give up its missile development program. On Tuesday, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga welcomed North Korean interest in joining the Pyeongchang Games. Yet he also said the North’s nuclear program remains a serious international threat and that the U.N. sanctions imposed on Pyongyang must continue.   Brian Padden reported this story for VOANews.com. George Grow adapted his report for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story   defuse – v. to make less harmful or tense address – v. to communicate directly with or to closed-circuit – adj. of or involving a television broadcast in which the signal is directed at a limited number of receivers attitude – n. a feeling or way of thinking brethren – n. members of an organization, usually a religious group athlete – n. a person who is skilled in physical exercises or sports appropriate – adj. right for some situation or purpose   We want to hear from you. Write to us

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