DPRK, ROK hit impasse at Asian Games negotiations

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea failed to reach any agreement on Thursday during working-level talks to discuss the DPRK's participation in the ROK-hosted Asian Games

Three-member delegations from the two sides opened the meeting at 10 am local time as planned at the truce village of Panmunjom, an official at the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee said.

It was the first inter-Korean meeting for a sports event since February 2008 when the two countries talked about a joint cheering squad for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The ROK side was led by Kwon Kyung-sang, secretary-general of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee. Son Kwang - ho, vice-chairman of the DPRK's Olympic Committee, headed the DPRK delegation.

"The working-level contact is for consultation on comprehensive issues related to the participation of DPRK athletes and its cheering contingent in the Incheon Asian Games. We will face the contact with a calm and sincere attitude to successfully host the Incheon Asian Games," Kwon said before leaving for the dialogue venue.

Pyongyang said in late May that it would send some 150 athletes and coaches along with a large cheering squad to the upcoming Asian Games, which will be held in the ROK's western port city of Incheon from Sept 19 to Oct 4.

During the talks, the two sides discussed a number of issues, including transporting the large DPRK sports delegation that was estimated at 400 to 600 and paying the cost necessary for the delegation's stay in the ROK.

The negotiators from the two countries also discussed whether to create a united team for some sports events, march together at the opening ceremony and form a joint cheering team.

The Incheon Asian Games will be the third to be hosted by the ROK following the 1986 competition in Seoul and the 2002 Asiad in Busan. The DPRK joined the games in 2002, but not the 1986 multisport event.

The two neighbors marched together under a unified flag at the opening ceremonies of the 2000 and 2004 Summer Olympics and also at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2007 Asian Winter Games. There has been no such joint march since then.

It will also be the first dispatch of the DPRK's cheering contingent since 2005 when Pyongyang sent hundreds of cheerleaders to the ROK for the Asian Athletics Championships in Incheon. The DPRK sent them to the ROK for the 2002 Busan Asian Games and 2003 Daegu Summer Universiad.

(China Daily 07/18/2014 page11)