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[PyeongChang 2018] NK delegation to PyeongChang 2018 mystery solved
By YonhapPublished : Feb. 2, 2018 - 14:50
GANGNEUNG, South Korea -- When finalizing the size of the North Korean delegation for the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Jan. 20, the International Olympic Committee said it would grant accreditations to 22 athletes and 24 officials.
Of those, 12 women's ice hockey players and three officials arrived in South Korea first. They joined the South Korean team last Thursday to start training as the joint squad for the Olympics.
The rest of the delegation arrived in South Korea on Thursday. But there was one twist: It was a delegation of 32, with 10 athletes and 22 officials.
This meant North Korea actually had 22 athletes and 25 officials present in South Korea.
So just who was the extra official?
The answer: Two of the 25 officials haven't been formally registered.
According to PyeongChang's organizing committee, all 32 athletes and officials who arrived in Gangneung on Thursday received their accreditations. And after the Delegation Registration Meeting, the North Korean team was set at 46 -- 22 athletes and 24 officials.
Some early speculation had it that one official from the hockey team was the culprit for confusion. In addition to the 12 hockey players, there was one coach, Pak Chol-ho, and two others on the support staff who traveled with them. The South Korean government only released the names of the players and the coach, and identities of the two other officials haven't been made public.
The unification ministry explained later Friday that only the 12 players and Pak have been registered for the Olympics. That leaves one spot for the delegation, and the ministry said the one remaining official will travel with North Korea's taekwondo demonstration team and cheering squad next Wednesday.
As for the two hockey team officials who haven't been registered, the ministry said it's up to North Korea to speak with the IOC regarding extra accreditations.
The North Korean hockey team has been training outside the Olympic Village at Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul, and its members don't yet need Olympic credentials to stay there. (Yonhap)
