 |
|
President Moon Jae-in is interviewed by the US broadcaster NBC while riding in “Train 1,” on Dec. 19. The train is an exclusive presidential KTX train service line between Seoul and Gangneung that is set to open on Dec. 22 ahead of the Games. (provided by Blue House)
|
A decision on North Korean athletes will likely not be made until immediately prior to the start of the games
President Moon Jae-in said he does not “see North Korea as likely to disrupt the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.” Speaking in a Dec. 19 interview with NBC on board a presidential train, Moon cited the previous successes of the 1988 Seoul Olympics and 2002 World Cup. “There were never any instances of people feeling anxiety or safety being compromised because of North Korea’s presence. In fact, the participation of North Korea and visits by its supporters during many international events contributed to peace and harmony between South and North,” he said. NBC posted the full text of Moon’s interview to its homepage on Dec. 22. Describing the significance of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, Moon said he hoped they would be a “healing Olympics providing comfort to a South Korean public that has suffered a great deal because of last winter’s severe political upheaval [with the impeachment of predecessor Park Geun-hye], as well as a peace Olympics that contributes to peace on the Korean Peninsula.” “Through the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, I want to share a message with the people around the world about our public’s strong hopes for peace on the peninsula,” he continued. On the possibility of North Korea taking part in the Games, Moon said, “The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and International Paralympic Committee (IPC) are working to convince and encourage them, and I believe there is a chance they will participate.” “In light of precedent, we’re expecting that if North Korea does participate, final confirmation will come close to the last second,” he said. “The IOC and IPC are doing their best to persuade North Korea to participate in the Olympics, and South Korea will be patient and wait,” he added. When asked what safety measures were being taken for the Pyeongchang Olympics, Moon noted that the UN “passed a resolution for a truce during the Olympic period, which was co-sponsored by the most countries in history.” “In addition to that, South Korea and the US have also agreed to cooperate and work together closely for a safe Olympics,” he said. “President [Donald] Trump has agreed to send a high-level government delegation if he is unable to attend, and Chinese President Xi Jinping has agreed to seriously consider attending in person and pledged to also send a senior delegation if he is unable to,” he added. Moon went on to say he had “received a promise from President Trump to cooperate to the fullest for a safe Olympics in Pyeongchang, and even more powerfully a pledge that the US would take responsibility for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics’ safety.” When asked which specific events in the Winter Games he most enjoys, Moon said he “likes all of the events.” “I especially like the figure skating events where Kim Yu-na performed so well in the past, and the short-track and speed skating events where South Korean athletes perform strongly,” he said. By Seong Yeon-cheol, staff reporter Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]
