Winter Olympics 2018: Is North Korea in South Korea’s Pyeongchang Olympics?

However the International Olympics Committee will hold their own talks to discuss the North’s participation. 

The two countries agreed on Tuesday North Korea will send a large delegation to the Winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang.

The delegation will include athletes, officials and a group of cheerleaders – dubbed the “cheering squad of beauty” by South Korean media.

However the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has said it will hold talks on January 20 to take a series of “essential decisions” on the North’s participation.

These decisions would include the number of names of athletes from the North Korean Olympic Committee as well as questions related to official protocol, including flags, ceremonies and uniform.

The IOC said its president Thomas Bach will host the talks which will also include the delegations from the national Olympic committees of both countries.

The IOC said in a statement: “The meeting will have to take a series of essential decisions, including the number and names of athletes and officials from the National Olympic Committee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, since all the deadlines for registration have already passed.”

The first formal talks held on Tuesday were seen as a cautious diplomatic breakthrough after months of rising tensions over Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons programme.

South Korea said Seoul would temporarily lift sanctions to allow the North to attend the Winter Olympics.

A military hotline which had been suspended for nearly two years will be reinstated from Wednesday, the South’s officials said.

South Korea proposed athletes from the two countries march together at the Games’ opening ceremony and other joint activities during the Winter Olympics.

South Korea’s unification minister, Cho Myoung-gyon said: “The people have a strong desire to see the North and South move towards peace and reconciliation.” 

However lead delegate Ri Son Gwon complained in closing marks the 11 hour talks “came to an icky mood” after the South Korean side brought up Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.

Ri said he would not discuss North Korea’s nuclear weapons programme with the South because its nuclear weapons programme are aimed “thoroughly” at the United States, not at its “brethren” in the South. 

A joint statement after 11 hours of talks said: “This is not a matter between North and South Korea, and to bring up this issue would cause negative consequences and risks turning all of today’s good achievement into nothing.” 

The Winter Olympics will be held in Pyeongchang, around 110 miles east of Seoul in February and the Winter Paralympics in March.

Just two North Korean athletes have qualified for the Games, figure skaters Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik, but they missed the participation deadline and would need IOC clearance.