With the PyeongChang Winter Olympics just around the corner, both Koreas are gearing up to finalize the agreements reached between the two. The South Korean delegates on Thursday departed for Lausanne, Switzerland, where they are to attend talks hosted by the International Olympic Committee with a goal to finalize Wednesday’s inter-Korean agreements.  South Korean President Moon Jae-in (left) presents mascots of 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games to Thomas Bach, president of the International

North Korea Jan. 18, 2018

The two Koreas have agreed to jointly march under the “Korean Unification” flag at the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Olympics next month, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Wednesday, after the two Koreas sat down to discuss the North’s participation in the games. South and North Korean athletes march under the unification flag during the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Italy. (AP-Yonhap)They also agreed to form a unified women’s ice hockey team for the Olympics. The news cam

North Korea Jan. 17, 2018

North Korea has asked South Korea to allow its delegation to cross the border via a land route in the western region for its participation in the PyeongChang Olympics, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said Wednesday, as the two Koreas sat down to work out key agenda items for the North’s participation in the upcoming Winter Games. This photo, provided by Seoul`s Unification Ministry on Wednesday, shows working-level talks between the two Koreas on the North`s participation in the PyeongChang Wint

North Korea Jan. 17, 2018

The two Koreas will hold working-level talks Wednesday, where remaining key issues on North Korea’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics are expected to be discussed.  South Korea‘s Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung. (Yonhap)North Korea agreed to hold two working-level meetings this week -- on Monday and Wednesday -- after the South offered Friday to hold a formal meeting on the North’s participation in next month’s PyeongChang Olympics. The series of meetings started with inter-Korea

North Korea Jan. 16, 2018

South Korea has agreed to North Korea’s proposal of holding working-level talks Wednesday at the truce village of Panmunjeom to further discuss its participation in the PyeongChang Olympics, the South’s Unification Ministry said Monday. Seoul’s sports minister also said if the two sides agree on a joint entrance at the opening ceremony, the athletes would march under the “Korean Unification” flag -- a white flag with a blue shape of the Korean Peninsula in the center. The North’s move, which cam

North Korea Jan. 15, 2018

North Korea will send a 140-member orchestra to South Korea for the PyeongChang Olympics, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said Monday. “North Korea will dispatch an art troupe formed of 140 members of the Samjiyon Orchestra,” said a joint press statement released by the ministry. North Korea's delegation members sit during an inter-Korean talks to discuss Pyongyang's participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics at the truce village of Panmunjeom on Monday. South Korea(Yonhap)The announcement came

North Korea Jan. 15, 2018

South Korea has agreed to North Korea’s proposal of holding working-level talks Wednesday at the truce village of Panmunjeom to further discuss its participation in the PyeongChang Olympics, the South’s Unification Ministry said Monday.  Kwon Hyok-bong, director of the performing arts bureau at the culture ministry and the North‘s chief delegate, left, and Lee Woo-sung, a senior official at the Seoul‘s culture ministry and the South‘s chief delegate, step into a meeting room in Tongilgagk in the

North Korea Jan. 15, 2018

The two Koreas will hold working-level talks Monday to hammer out key details concerning a North Korean art troupe’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics next month, the South’s Unification Ministry said Sunday. The talks will be held at Tongilgak, situated at the Northern side of the truce village of Panmunjeom. South Korea on Friday initially proposed talks covering a broader agenda, but the North said it wanted to first discuss matters related to its art troupe’s performance at the Winte

North Korea Jan. 14, 2018

Officials from North and South Korea are to further discuss the North’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics at working-level talks next week and a separate meeting at the International Olympic Committee’s headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Jan. 20. President Moon Jae-in (left) shakes hands with North Korean IOC member Chang Ung at the opening ceremony of the World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, North Jeolla Province, in June 2017. (Yonhap)“It is believed that the working-level tal

North Korea Jan. 11, 2018

The first inter-Korean meeting in two years held Tuesday aimed to alleviate tension on the Korean Peninsula. It ended with the release of a three-point joint communique after 12 hours of negotiations, but experts are expressing concerns that goals were only met “halfway.” Ri Son-gwon (center), North Korea`s chief delegate, crosses the military demarcation line in the truce village of Panmunjeom to shake hands with the South Korean delegation on Tuesday. (Yonhap)Although South Korea’s efforts to

North Korea Jan. 10, 2018

The two Koreas agreed to revive the South-North military hotline in the West Sea during their first talks in more than two years, Seoul’s Ministry of Unification said Tuesday.  A South Korean soldier performs test-calls on the inter-Korean military hotline near the West Sea region in July 2017. (Yonhap)A five-member South Korean delegation headed by Minister of Unification Cho Myoung-gyon and the North Korean delegation kicked off meetings at the truce village of Panmunjeom at 10 a.m. Ri Son-gwo

North Korea Jan. 9, 2018

North Korea has expressed willingness to continue talking with the South and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula while offering to dispatch delegations to the upcoming Winter Games, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said. “North Korea has guaranteed peace on the Korean Peninsula, talked about promoting reconciliation among the Korean people, and solving issues surrounding the South and the North through dialogue and negotiations,” Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung said in a briefing. “North K

North Korea Jan. 9, 2018

North Korea’s chief delegate said Tuesday he came to the inter-Korean talks with the idea of offering a “precious result” to South Korea, hinting that Pyongyang will respond positively to Seoul’s invitation to the Winter Games. The cross-border meeting which took place in the border village of Panmunjeom, kicked-off at 10 a.m. sharp with the two chief delegates of Seoul and Pyongyang exchanging warm messages hinting at a thaw in long-stalled ties. “I came to this meeting with a thought to hand a

North Korea Jan. 9, 2018

The first inter-Korean talks in more than two years kicked off at 10 a.m. on Tuesday to discuss the North’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics and improving bilateral relations. The meeting in the border village of Panmunjeom, started with a brief exchange between delegations from Seoul and Pyongyang.  North Korea`s Ri Son-gown (left) shakes hands with his South Korean counterpart Cho Myoung-gyon during inter-Korean talks on Jan. 9, 2018. (Yonhap)“The North and the South are to attend the

North Korea Jan. 9, 2018

The formal inter-Korean talks, a first in more than two years, will take place Tuesday for discussion on North’s participation in the PyeongChang Olympics and de-freezing bilateral ties. The meeting will kick-off at 10 a.m. in the border village of Panmunjeom, Seoul’s Unification Ministry said. The South Korean delegation arrived at the Peace House inside the truce village at 8:46 a.m. The North Korean delegation crossed the military demarcation line, the de facto border between the Koreas, at 9

North Korea Jan. 9, 2018