North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik recorded a personal best score in the pairs short program at the Pyeongchang Olympics on Wednesday.

The first North Koreans to qualify for the Games after they finished sixth at the Nebelhorn Trophy in Orberstdorf, Germany last September, Ryom and Kim scored 69.40, easily bettering their previous best mark set at last month's Four Continents championships in Taipei.

Their performance and resulting score triggered wild cheers at Gangneung Ice Arena, and earned them a place in Thursday's free skating.

"The cheering from the South Koreans and North Koreans together for us was very helpful," said Kim. "There have been no inconveniences whatsoever to life in the South (Korea) area. We could really feel the power and the energy of the Korean people."

"We are very happy to skate in our first Olympics and compete with pairs from other countries," Ryom said.

At the Four Continents, Ryom and Kim scored 65.25 and went on to win bronze, becoming the first skaters from North Korea to win a medal at an ISU event. Their total score of 184.98 there was also their personal best.

Although they qualified for Pyeongchang, Ryom and Kim failed to confirm their participation and their berth by the deadline and it was handed to Japan's Miu Suzaki and Ryuichi Kihara.

However, the North Koreans were given an additional berth by the International Olympic Committee last month.

North Korea, which did not have any athletes at the Sochi Games four years ago, has sent more than 20 athletes to Pyeongchang, including 12 ice hockey players in a combined North and South Korean women's team.

Last month the two Koreas held their first official talks in more than two years, where the North showed interest in sending a delegation of athletes and high-ranking government officials to the Winter Games.

The developments came after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un struck a conciliatory note on relations with South Korea in his New Year's address amid tensions over Pyongyang's continued development of nuclear and ballistic weapons.

The idea of forming a joint women's ice hockey team had stirred controversy in South Korea and participating nations. In South Korea, it was felt a unified team would prevent deserving South Korean skaters from participating.

Other nations were concerned a combined roster as was approved would provide an unfair competitive advantage.

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