South Korean Leader Welcomes North Korean 2018 Olympic Interest

A photo of a patriotic demonstration in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang dated 2007. Photo: Courtesy of Stephan/Flickr

With the 2018 Winter Olympics just over a month away, the host nation's neighbor to the north, North Korea, is seeing the games as an opportunity to bring peace and harmony to the Korean Penninsula.

According to a CNN report, during North Korean leader Kim Jong Un's New Year's Day address, Un offered a rare olive branch to South Karea, and added North Korean representatives should start talks with their South Korean counterparts "as soon as possible" to discuss sending a delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics.

CNN also reported that South Korean leader Moon Jae-in has welcomed Kim Jong Un's willingness to enter dialogue and called for swift measures to help North Korea participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in a cabinet meeting earlier today.

Only two North Korean athletes have qualified for the Olympics–the figure skating pair of Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-sik–however, the country's National Olympic Committee didn't meet an October 30 deadline to accept their spot.