North Korea says it is likely to compete at Winter Olympics: reports

A North Korean official said Saturday that the country is likely to take part in the Winter Olympics in South Korea next month, according to Japanese media.

Chang Ung, North Korea’s representative at the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told reporters in Beijing the country will most likely send a figure skating team to the games in Pyeongchang, the reports said, according to The Associated Press.

The representative reportedly went on to say only time would tell if other North Koreans would compete in the games. 

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Japan’s Kyodo News service and broadcaster NHK said Chang was en route to Switzerland to meet with IOC officials, according to the AP.

North and South Korean officials are preparing to discuss participation in the Olympics and other issues in rare talks at the border on Tuesday.

The two countries on Wednesday also reopened a phone line in Panmunjom after holding a call. 

The call follows North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s New Year’s Day speech, in which he expressed a willingness to send athletes to the Olympics. 

However, tensions remain high between Pyongyang and the international community, including South Korea.

The North has launched a series of intercontinental ballistic missiles over the past year, and Kim bragged about his country’s military capabilities during the same New Year’s Day speech.

The United Nations slapped additional sanctions on North Korea last month aimed at isolating the reclusive nation’s already troubled economy.