South Korea To Start Consultations On North Korea's Participation In Asian Games

A government official said Monday that South Korea "plans to start consultations with North Korea as soon as possible on an array of pending issues related to the North's participation in the upcoming Asian Games," according to YONHAP. North Korea "will send a 273-member delegation, including 150 athletes, to the Asian Games" to be held in Incheon. Seoul unification ministry spokesperson Lim Byeong-cheol said, "I believe that the two Koreas are likely to discuss the issues as soon as possible. But it is impossible to exchange letters today, which is the North's national holiday." Inter-Korean dialogue on the sports event "has been stalled since July 17 when the North Korean delegation walked out of negotiations in apparent displeasure over Seoul's refusal to cover the cost of sending a team to the event." Touching on media speculation that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un may visit Russia, Lim said that "there has been nothing confirmed about whether it is true or not" (KOREA TIMES, 8/25).