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(LEAD) Koreas exchange list of delegates for talks on Olympics

All News 16:51 January 16, 2018

(ATTN: RECASTS headline, lead; UPDATES with more info throughout)

SEOUL, Jan. 16 (Yonhap) -- South and North Korea exchanged lists of delegates Tuesday for this week's working-level talks on the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, Seoul officials said.

The two sides will hold talks on Wednesday on the southern part of the truce village of Panmunjom to discuss details about the North's participation, including a travel route and accommodations.

The South's three-member delegation will be led by Vice Unification Minister Chun Hae-sung, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

The North's chief delegate will be Jon Jong-su, the vice chairman of the Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country (CPRC), North Korea's state agency in charge of inter-Korean affairs. Its delegation also includes Won Kil-u, the vice sports minister.

The meeting is a follow-up to last week's high-level talks, during which the North agreed to send a delegation of athletes, high-ranking officials, an art troupe and others to the Feb. 9-25 Olympics in the South.

The North agreed Monday to send a 140-member art troupe, including an orchestra, for concerts in the South next month.

A focal point for Wednesday's talks will be whether the Koreas can reach an agreement on their athletes' joint march at the opening ceremony and the fielding of a joint women's hockey team with North Korea at the Olympics.

Seoul made those proposals during last week's talks, but the North has yet to respond.

The government is reviewing how to transport and accommodate the North's delegation in a way that would not violate multi-layered sanctions.

"We plan to focus on discussions about the North's participation," Chun told a group of reporters. "There was an agreement on an art troupe on Monday, but there should be consultations over the others who will make the trip," he added.

Asked whether the issue of divided families could be raised, the vice minister said, "It is not easy to resolve pending inter-Korean issues at one time. With about 20 days before the Games, we want to center on the Olympics."

(LEAD) Koreas exchange list of delegates for talks on Olympics - 1

sooyeon@yna.co.kr
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