Gangwon governor proposes 'floating hotel' for North Korea delegates
By Choi Ha-young
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Choi Moon-soon
Gangwon Province Governor Choi Moon-soon proposed Wednesday using a cruise ship to accommodate North Korean athletes and delegates during the Winter Olympics to be held next month.
“We can send a cruise ship to Wonsan, North Korea, to bring them in,” Choi told reporters, Wednesday. “The ship would be docked at Sokcho Port (near the athletes’ village) during the Olympics. This could be the best solution to many problems, including accommodation, transport and security.
“As a large number of North Koreans are expected to come to the South, we can use the cruise ship as a floating hotel exclusively for guests from the North.”
Choi said the provincial government can afford to provide a ship with a capacity for 1,000 people.
At Tuesday’s inter-Korean high-level meeting, the North agreed to send a large delegation, including athletes, a cheering squad and officials, to the Games. However, the delegation’s route is in question, since traveling by ship or air is subject to international sanctions. The two Koreas are likely to handle the issue in upcoming military talks.
According to sanctions imposed by Seoul, Washington and Tokyo, ships departing North Korean ports cannot drop anchor in ports in their territory. But Choi claimed that a cruise ship would be excused from sanctions because it was for an international sports event ― a humanitarian purpose.
“The sanctions against North Korea aim at deterring the nation from developing nuclear weapons,” Choi said. “If the North Koreans use a cruise ship, the cost will be covered by a South Korean shipping company. Most of the expenses will be covered by the Ministry of Unification.”
On Jan. 5, the unification ministry dismissed the governor’s proposal. “Some local government bodies’ comments on the PyeongChang Games are groundless and incorrect,” ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said at a regular briefing. “The government respects inter-Korean exchanges through local bodies, but this should be well ordered.”
The governor met North Korean sports officials last month in Kunming, China. Following the meeting, South Korean participants signaled a positive atmosphere regarding the North’s participation in the Winter Games. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un then said in a New Year speech that the North could take part in the Olympics.