The International Olympic Committee agreed to allow four unified Korean teams to attempt to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Friday following talks with representatives from both North and South Korea.

The three-way talks paved the way for the Koreas to field women's basketball and hockey teams along with mixed rowing and mixed judo teams next summer in Tokyo, provided those teams can meet the established qualifying standards.

The IOC may recognize additional joint teams provided it is notified in time for those teams to qualify for Tokyo 2020.

The representatives of North and South Korea also delivered notice they want to jointly host the 2032 Olympics, an offer that was welcomed by the IOC despite the fact that the 2032 candidature process has yet to begin.

"The discussions at the working meeting today are one further step showing how sport can once more make a contribution to peace on the Korean Peninsula and the world," IOC President Thomas Bach said.

"We have a good foundation to build on and make further progress ahead of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Sport will continue to build bridges and demonstrate the unifying power of the Olympic Games." Therefore, we warmly welcome the historic initiative of the two Koreas to put forward a joint Korean candidature for the Olympic Games 2032," he said.

At last year's Pyeongchang Winter Games, the North and South Korean teams marched together in the opening ceremony, while a unified team competed in women's ice hockey, the first time inter-Korean athletes competed together in Olympic history.

Pyongyang and Seoul reached an agreement at last September's inter-Korean summit to enter unified teams at the Tokyo Games, as well as make the co-hosting bid, and Do Jong Hwan, South Korea's minister of culture, sport and tourism, said the goal is to further that cooperation.

"South Korea greatly hopes to jointly host the Olympic Games 2032 with North Korea, and will work to successfully bid for the games together," Do said. "Moving forward from our successful collaboration for the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018, we will continue to work closely with North Korea for a successful candidature to host the games in Seoul and Pyongyang."

North Korean Olympic Committee President Kim Il Guk, the minister of physical culture and sport, said, "I am very moved and excited by the prospect of bidding together with South Korea. We agree with the concepts put forward by South Korea, and ask for the support of President Bach and the IOC to jointly host the Olympic Games in Seoul and Pyongyang."

Since breaking the ice a year ago in South Korea, the two Koreas also entered unified teams in a number of events at last year's Asian Games in Jakarta, while combined teams competed at September's World Judo Championships and last month's World Men's Handball Championships last month.