S. Korean Olympic Body To Propose Regular Inter-Korean Sports Exchanges

South Korea's Olympic body will propose to its North Korean counterpart holding regular sports exchanges, when the two sides meet at International Olympic Committee (IOC) headquarters later this week.

An official with the South's Korean Olympic & Sport Committee (KSOC) said its chief, Lee Kee-heung, will ask North Korean officials about having regular inter-Korean sports exchanges after the PyeongChang Olympic Games, at a meeting at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The IOC has set up a four-party meeting for Saturday, to be chaired by its president, Thomas Bach, with representatives from PyeongChang's organizing committee and the Olympic committees of the two Koreas on hand to discuss details of North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Olympics.

Lee previously said, separate from the talks for the PyeongChang Olympics, he will ask North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il-guk to open a communication channel between the two Korean sports bodies and have regular sports exchanges.

Lee said resuming inter-Korean friendly football matches and South Koreans helping North Koreans in skiing at Masikryong Ski Resort in the North can further enhance inter-Korean exchange efforts. He added that South Korea will seek to expand youth exchange programs and sports forums with North Korea.

Lee also said he seeks meetings with North Korea's Olympic body in PyeongChang when Pyongyang sends its delegation next month.