Line of communication reopens between North and South Korea following Pyeongchang 2018 participation pledge

	Line of communication reopens between North and South Korea following Pyeongchang 2018 participation pledge
	05/01/2018 10:51
	A line of communication between North Korea and South Korea has been reopened today following two years of dormancy after Kim Jong-un announced his country would be willing to take part at this year's Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang.
The two countries have not held official high-level talks since December 2015 following escalating tensions in the region, leading to security fears regarding the Winter Olympics and Paralympics. Relations appear to have eased in recent days following Kim's New Year's Day speech, where he revealed North Korea hoped to compete at Pyeongchang 2018. At a press conference yesterday, South Korea's Minister of Unification, Cho Myoung-Gyon, proposed the talks take place on January 9. A spokesperson for South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said the reopening of the channel, a special direct hotline in the border village of Panmunjeom, was "very significant". Pairs skaters Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik are the only North Korean athletes to have so far qualified for Pyeongchang 2018. They missed a deadline last month to accept their spot, although they could still be allowed to participate. It remains possible that other athletes from North Korea could also be given wildcards. (Insidethegames.biz)