IOC Chief Thomas Bach says North Korea will take part in next two Olympics
According to Bach, the North Korean leader Kim Jon Un is committed to having his country in the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2022 Winter Games.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach said that North Korea will take part in the next two Olympic Games in Japan and China.
Last week, Bach traveled to Pyongyang where he had a 30-minute formal meeting with the North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, followed by 45 minutes of casual discussions while watching a football match.
Speaking to reporters at the Beijing airport upon his return, the IOC president confirmed the news that North Korea will participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo and the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing.
Kim pleased with the IOC
According to Bach, Kim expressed his appreciation for the IOC’s role in helping North Korea participate at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February.
‘We had a very fruitful meeting where it became clear that the supreme leader has a clear vision of the role that sport can play in a society with regard to education, with regard to health,’ Bach said.
Bach added that the Kim Jong Un said the North’s participation at Pyeongchang was a ‘very important contribution to a peaceful dialogue’.
North Korea-IOC cooperation
A statement by the IOC said that Baach’s visit to North Korea last week was ‘part of the close cooperation and consultations the IOC enjoys with all of the 206 national Olympic committees.’
‘The discussions will focus on the further development of sport in the DPRK after the successful participation of athletes at the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018; and the preparation of athletes from ... the DPRK with the objective of qualifying for and participating in the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as well as the Youth Olympic Games 2020 and 2022,’ the IOC added.