NKorea cancels pre-Olympic joint event

The official emblem of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018.

The official emblem of the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games is seen in downtown Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018. Source: AP

North Korea has withdrawn from a joint cultural event with the south in the lead up to next month's Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.


South Korea says North Korea has cancelled one of key joint co-operation projects planned for next month's Winter Olympics in the South.

Seoul's Unification Ministry says in a statement North Korea on Monday sent a message saying it won't hold a joint cultural event at the North's Diamond Mountain on February 4.

The ministry cites North Korea as saying it has no other option to cancel the project because of unspecified South Korean media reports that it says defamed its "sincere" measures for the Olympics.

The statement says South Korea considers the North's decision "very regrettable".

It's not clear how the development would affect other planned Olympics-related co-operation projects between the Koreas. They agreed to field a joint women's hockey team and to march together during the opening ceremony.


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NKorea cancels pre-Olympic joint event | SBS Korean