By Lee Min-hyung
North Korea has praised its highest-ranking Olympics delegation for its recent visit to South Korea where it built momentum for peace on the Korean Peninsula.
“The North Korean delegation helped improve relations between the two Koreas, paving the way for establishing a peaceful environment on the peninsula,” the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA) said Monday.
This came a day after the delegation - led by Kim Yong-nam, the ceremonial head of the regime - returned to Pyongyang after ending its three-day visit to Seoul and PyeongChang on the sidelines of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
This is the first time since North Korean leader Kim Jong-un took office in 2011 that the regime has expressed a strong willingness to enhance bilateral ties with the South through sports diplomacy.
The state-run news agency noted that a group of highest-ranking South Korean officials enjoyed music performances by the regime’s 140-member Samjiyon Orchestra.
“President Moon Jae-in and the first lady watched the performance by our art troupe on Sunday, and the concert won explosive applause from the audience,” it added.
Kim Yo-jong, younger sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, also watched the performance with the South Korea dignitaries, the KCNA reported. They included Seoul Mayor Park Won-soon and Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
From arrival to departure, Kim Yo-jong has particularly stood at the center of public and media attention, as this marks the first time a member of the Kim dynasty has visited the South since the 1950-53 Korean War.
This raised hopes for a possibly long-lasting thaw in inter-Korean relations.
On Friday, she made headlines here and abroad by hand delivering a letter from her brother to President Moon in a luncheon at Cheong Wa Dae. The North Korean leader said in the letter he hopes to invite Moon to Pyongyang for a summit “at the earliest possible date.”
This left the presidential office in a dilemma, as a series of external political uncertainties are expected to put the brakes on possible peace talk with the North.
For instance, Seoul and Washington agreed to resume joint military exercises soon after the closing of the PyeongChang Paralympics in March, which will face strong backlash from Pyongyang.
The presidential office hopes to extend the ongoing inter-Korean peace, and is considering measures to help Pyongyang and Washington hold talks soon.