S. Korea welcome ‘special’ Olympic skaters from North

AFP, Seoul :
South Korean organisers of next year’s Winter Olympics welcomed Saturday the “special” qualifying of figure skaters from the North, as Seoul seeks to promote its isolated neighbour’s participation as a key part of the “Peace Games”.
Ryom Tae-Ok and Kim Ju-Sik became the first North Koreans to qualify for the 2018 Pyeongchang Games on Friday after winning one of the five Olympic pairs spots available at a qualifying tournament in Germany.
It means the North can now make plans to compete without waiting to find out if it will be handed wild card entries — although Pyongyang has yet to formally confirm that its athletes will take part in the Games.
“We’re really excited that North Korean athletes have qualified to compete at the Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang,” the Pyeongchang organising committee said in a statement.
“With North Korea’s participation, the Games in PyeongChang will be the greatest celebration of sport and we welcome all athletes to share in this special moment with us.”
International concerns have mounted over the Pyeongchang Olympics — to be held 80 kilometres (50 miles) south of the heavily fortified border between the nations — after a recent series of missile launches and a nuclear test by the North.
Verbal threats of war between North Korea’s leader Kim Jong-Un and US President Donald Trump have pushed tensions higher.