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SUBJECT 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics: Peace as a core value
DATE 2018-02-07
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According to the Pyeongchang Olympics Organizing Committee, 300,000 people from around the world are expected to visit the city during the 17-day event, from 9 to 25 February 2018. There are also athletes from 92 countries competing in Pyeongchang, this sport event brings positive signal on reducing inter-state tensions in Northeast Asia.

 

 

On Monday, President Moon Jae-in, at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) meeting reaffirmed his efforts to make the upcoming Winter Olympic Games a success, especially making the start of establishing peace in the region. 

 

 

The IOC and the Republic of Korea have been working together to prepare for a peaceful and safe Olympic Games. This is the result of our joint effort, the President Moon said.

 

 

IOC President Thomas Bach (left) and President Moon Jae-in at the International Olympic Committee meeting (Photo: IOC Twitter)

 

 

For a peaceful and successful Olympics, the top legislator of North Korea, Kim Yong-nam, president of the Presidium of the Supreme People’s Assembly will lead its high-profile delegation to Pyeongchang from 9 to 11 February, Seoul’s unification ministry said Sunday.

 

 

The North Korean delegation will include three delegates and 18 supporting officials. The number of North Korean athletes will also be the largest in the history of Winter Olympic Games.

 

 

North Korean athletes at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Village (Photo: IOC Twitter)

 

 

Athletes from across the Peninsula will make a joint entrance under a ‘unification flag’ for the opening and closing ceremonies. Moreover, some events will have unified Korean teams – with both North and South taking part, such as the women’s ice hockey games.

 

 

This important sport event is also an opportunity for Korea and China to consolidate their relations.

 

 

Last Friday, the top economic policymakers of Korea and China met in Beijing and agreed to strengthen their relations – a sign that Beijing may give up its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) retaliation.

 

 

Ever since China’s economic sanctions against Korea over the decision to install THAAD, tensions between the two have been rising, ranging from a curb on Chinese travel to Korea, to bans on K-pop stars’ appearances on Chinese TV.  

 

 

However, the Winter Olympics is expected to resolve this tension. The two countries decided to promote cultural exchanges through tourism, boosting economic cooperation in many areas, said Korean Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon.

 

 

Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon (left) and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng at their meeting in Beijing (Photo: Korean Ministry of Strategy and Finance)

 

 

China, the host of the next Winter Games in 2022, will need to learn new technologies and management know-hows from Korea after the Pyeongchang Olympics, just as Korea did from Russia, which held the 2014 Sochi Games.

 

 

Both Korea and China focus on developing their economies through innovation. The two countries will have to step up cooperation in multi areas, said Finance Minister Kim during the meeting in Beijing.

 

 

To conclude, many anticipate the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to bring peace and reconciliation to the world, especially Northeast Asia.

 

 

By MSEAP Cyber Secretariat (mseap@assembly.go.kr)