N. Korea could co-host 2018 Winter Olympics
Cold-weather sports could ‘thaw lingering tensions’ between North and South
In less than a year, South Korea will host the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, about 64 kilometres from the demilitarized zone. The country may ask for a little help, too: from North Korea.
This week, the country’s sports minister said that he’ll ask North Korea to host some of the ski events at Masikryong, a resort about three hours from Pyongyang. The complex, opened in 2014, offers 110 kilometres of slopes on a 1,200-metre mountain. Do Jong-hwan said he’s also considering an inter-Korean women’s ice hockey team, an effort to make the 2018 Games a “peace Olympics,” he said.
“Hopefully, we’ll be able to thaw lingering tensions as we try to bring North Korea on board,” Do told the Korea Herald.
Do said he’ll discuss the plan with North Korea’s delegate to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Jang Woong and IOC president Thomas Bach later this month.
South Korea has also said that North Korean athletes who qualify for the Olympics (none have so far) will be able to travel through the DMZ to reach the event. The overture is part of a broader effort by South Korean President Moon Jaein to engage with Pyongyang.