Winter Olympics: N.Korean athletes, cheerleaders participate in welcome event

North Korean athletes and their cheerleading squad attending the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics participated in a welcome ceremony on Thursday at the Gangneung Olympic Village in South Korea.

The athletes, including 12 players from the unified Korean female ice hockey team, joined other delegations outside the Olympic village for the event, held one day before the opening ceremony, reports Efe news.

The North Korean cheerleading squad, which arrived in South Korea on Wednesday amid huge media attention, also participated in the ceremony.

North Korean officials, journalists, members of a Taekwondo exhibition team and a 140-member orchestra -- which will play at a concert in Gangneung later on Thursday -- have also arrived in South Korea for the Games.

The presence of the delegation at the Games is the result of agreements signed by the two Koreas, who have technically been at war for 65 years.

Both countries have also agreed to march under the same flag in the much-anticipated opening ceremony on Friday.

A delegation of high ranking officials of the Kim Jong-un regime, including his sister Kim Yo-jong and Kim Yong-nam, the President of the National Assembly, were also due to arrive on Friday.

Yo-jong will be the first member of the Kim family to visit South Korea.

--IANS

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