Seoul sources have stated that North Korea agreed on Tuesday to send athletes to February's Winter Games to be held in South Korea, which is a symbolic breakthrough after months of escalating tensions over the North's rapidly advancing nuclear and missile programs. The event will be the first time North Korea has participated in the winter games in eight years.
According to sources the country has competed in every Summer Olympics since 1972, except the 1984 games which were held in Los Angeles and also the 1988 games held in Seoul both were boycotted by the team.
Moreover North Korea's attendance will be a historic development in inter
Korean sports exchanges. North Korea has traditionally sent only a small
delegation to the winter games and has never won a gold medal at them. Sources
hope to use such a lull in the standoff to create to create a momentum for
negotiations between North Korea and United States.
