South Korea proposes talks on North Korea's participation in winter Olympics

[January 12, 2018]  SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea has proposed working-level talks with North Korea on the latter's participation in the Winter Olympics set for next month, the South's unification ministry said on Friday.

It suggested a date of January 15 for a meeting with the South's three-member delegation led by vice minister Chun Hae-sung, to discuss the North's participation, the ministry said in a statement.

Following the first inter-Korean talks this week in more than two years, the two sides had agreed to hold talks on Jan. 20, hosted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

"The South also delivered a document presenting its position regarding the North’s participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics and matters on cultural events," the ministry added.

A bedroom in the Olympic Village is pictured in Pyeongchang, South Korea, December 15, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji

Earlier, a senior Seoul official said the South made a proposal to the North for both to form a united women's ice hockey team to participate in the Winter Olympics.

(Reporting by Dahee Kim; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

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