LOC09:30
06:30 GMT
TOKYO, July 13 (KUNA) -- North Korea would like to co-host the 2018 Winter
Olympics to be held in South Korean alpine town of Pyeongchang, a senior North
Korean sports official said Wednesday, Seoul's Yonhap News Agency reported.
Jang Ung, a North Korean member of the International Olympic Committee
(IOC), told Yonhap in Tokyo it was "positive" for Asia to host only its third
Winter Games.
When asked about the possibility of sharing some events with Pyeongchang,
Jang replied "I hope so," according to the report.
"The political and military situations between the Koreas aren't good, and
they have to be improved. Otherwise, they could influence the Olympics," he
was quoted as saying.
Jang arrived in Tokyo to attend the general assembly of the Olympic Council
of Asia (OCA). Pyeongchang beat Munich of Germany and Annecy of France last
week to win the bid for the 2018 Games.
Rep. Sohn Hak-kyu, head of South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party,
said earlier this week that he will explore ways for the two Koreas to co-host
the Games.
The two Koreas remain technically at war with each other because the
1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty. They have
fielded joint teams in football and in table tennis in international events,
but never at an Olympics or an Asian Games.
They have marched in together for opening ceremonies, most recently at the
2004 Athens Olympics.(end)
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