President Park Geun-hye has inspected preparations for an international multisport competition for university athletes to be held in South Korea's southwest region later this year, an official said Wednesday.

The move is part of South Korea's efforts to ensure that it can successfully host the Summer Universiade from July 3-14 in Gwangju, some 330 kilometers south of Seoul.

No details of Park's comments were immediately available.

South Korea said the international sports event, which will bring together about 20,000 athletes, officials and press from 170 countries, could help South Korea's international standing.

Gwangju is the third South Korean host of the Universiade. Muju and Jeonju, located the country's southern region, co-hosted the winter edition in 1997, and the country's southeastern city of Daegu held the summer event in 2003.

North Korea plans to take part in the biennial games with a 108-member delegation.

South Korea has ruled out forming a unified team with North Korea for the Summer Universiade amid lingering tensions on the divided Korean Peninsula. (Yonhap)