South, North Korea ties unlikely to get better during Beijing Olympics, says FM Chung
Dec 29, 2021
Seoul [South Korea], December 29 : The Beijing Winter Olympics are unlikely to serve as an opportunity to mend South Korea's relations with the North, but efforts to restore peace on the peninsula will continue, South Korean Foreign Minister Chung Eui-yong said on Wednesday.
"We had hoped that the Beijing Olympics would serve as an opportunity to improve inter-Korean relations, but I think such chances are virtually getting slimmer," Chung said during a press conference, Yonhap news agency reported.
Chung again stressed that Seoul is not planning to join the US diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter games.
He also noted that South Korea will carefully consider how it will send its government delegation to the Beijing games while taking into consideration a number of factors. The minister added that South Korean President Moon Jae-in's administration will take any chance it gets to improve relations with the North and restart peace talks.
Earlier this month, Moon announced that South Korea was not considering joining in the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games despite Washington's decision. China in turn had praised South Korea for upholding the Olympic spirit.
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will take place in Beijing in February next year.
