DPRK to send high-ranking delegation to S.Korea-hosted Winter Olympics

Head of the DPRK delegation Ri Son-gwon shakes hands with his ROK counterpart Cho Myoung-gyon during their meeting at the truce village of Panmunjom, Jan 9, 2018. [Photo/Agencies]

SEOUL, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will send a high-ranking delegation, athletes and a cheering squad to the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games in South Korea, its delegation said Tuesday at the inter-Korean talks held on the north-south border.

The South Korean delegation proposed that the DPRK send a large delegation as well as a cheering squad to PyeongChang, a county in the east of South Korea which will host the 2018 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games beginning on Feb. 9, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

In response, the DPRK side said it will dispatch a high-ranking delegation, the delegation of the National Olympic Committee, athletes, cheering squad, performing art team, visitors, demonstration team for Taekwondo, a form of traditional Korean martial art, as well as press corps.

The high-level dialogue, first of its kind in two years, kicked off at 10 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) and lasted for about an hour. It was followed by talks between chief negotiators from the two sides that continued for 50 minutes.