South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung Wha said Thursday that North Korea has expressed its intent to participate in the Pyeongchang Winter Paralypmic Games to be held in March in South Korea.
It is still unclear whether North Korean athletes will take part in the first Winter Olympic Games to be hosted in South Korea, which is set for Feb. 9-25.
In parliament, Kang said North Korea has submitted a letter to the International Paralympic Committee in which the country expressed its intent to take part in the Paralympics, adding she hopes North Korea would also be able to participate in the Winter Olympics.
The first North Korea athletes for the Winter Olympics qualified in September when figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik obtained one of the last five berths in the Olympic pairs competition at an event in Germany.
North Korea boycotted the 1988 Seoul Games.