IOC President Thomas Bach Confident In 2018 PyeongChang Games Security

IOC President Thomas Bach "conceded that major sporting events like the 2018 Winter Games will always carry some form of security risk" but said on Wednesday that "he was confident that South Korean authorities would keep athletes safe" in PyeongChang, according to Minwoo Park of REUTERS. Relations with volatile North Korea "are often strained and tension between Seoul and Pyongyang has been rising recently after two South Korean soldiers were injured by a landmine in the heavily-fortified demilitarized zone," which has divided the two Koreas since the end of their '50-53 war. Bach: "Security is a top priority for the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, we are living in a world where every big event, be it sport or otherwise, has challenges with regard to security. So do the Olympic Games." Bach said that he was confident South Korea's security forces "would coordinate closely with other countries' authorities to do 'everything in their power to protect the athletes and the Olympic Games'" (REUTERS, 8/19).