黑料社区

SEOUL: Seoul鈥檚 presidential Blue House rejected criticism on Tuesday that next month鈥檚 Winter Games had been hijacked by North Korea, saying the event will help defuse tensions over Pyongyang鈥檚 nuclear and missile programs.
Some opposition politicians and conservatives in South Korea have criticized North Korea鈥檚 participation in the Games to be held in the South Korean alpine resort town of Pyeongchang, dubbing them the 鈥淧yongyang Olympics.鈥�
鈥淛ust one month ago, acute tensions gripped the Korean peninsula, but the administration鈥檚 efforts to tackle the crisis through dialogue has led to North Korea鈥檚 participation in the Olympics,鈥� Blue House spokesman Park Soo-hyun told a news conference.
鈥淲e鈥檙e confident that the Olympics will be a stepping stone to bring peace to the Korean peninsula, to Northeast Asia and the world.鈥�
After a months-long standoff over the North鈥檚 nuclear and missile tests, the two Koreas agreed during their first formal talks in nearly two years that the South will help arrange for the North to join in the Games.
Some specific plans, however, including fielding a joint women鈥檚 ice hockey team and marching under a united flag, have proven controversial, with conservatives and younger South Koreans upset that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is stealing the spotlight.
The administration of South Korea鈥檚 liberal president, Moon Jae-in, is under pressure over its offer to send athletes to a North Korean ski resort for joint training. Experts say the move risks giving Kim鈥檚 regime legitimacy and some much needed cash.
Seoul officials are on a three-day trip to the North starting Tuesday to inspect the resort鈥檚 facilities and the newly built Kalma Airport nearby that may be used to fly in the South Korean skiers, who are not expected to attend the Games.
Moon鈥檚 approval rating has fallen to a four-month low at 66 percent, a poll showed on Monday, due to a backlash over the decision regarding the combined hockey team.
Later Tuesday, the North said it would send a 15-strong ice hockey team to the South on Thursday for joint training with South Korean players, together with a group of officials who are due to inspect Olympics facilities, Seoul鈥檚 Unification Ministry said.
The two Koreas also finalized venues for joint orchestra performances which will take place on Feb. 8 at Gangneung, near Pyeongchang, and on Feb. 11 in Seoul, according to the ministry.
Small but vocal groups of demonstrators staged a protest at Seoul鈥檚 central train station on Monday where a North Korean delegation had arrived to see the concert venues, burning a picture of Kim. One sign at the protest read: 鈥淲e鈥檙e opposed to Kim Jong Un鈥檚 Pyongyang Olympics!.鈥�
North Korea鈥檚 Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of the Country, in charge of inter-Korean affairs, called the picture-burning protest a 鈥渟huddering, hideous crime,鈥� urging Seoul to apologize and punish those involved.
鈥淲e will never tolerate hideous acts of the conservative hooligans who insulted the sacred dignity and symbol of the DPRK, and the dishonest behavior of the South Korean authorities who connived at such acts,鈥� said a spokesman of the organization via the official KCNA news agency on Tuesday.
The official was referring to North Korea by its full name, the Democratic People鈥檚 Republic of Korea.
鈥淲e cannot but take a serious consideration of our follow-up measures regarding the Winter Olympics.鈥�
Separately, North Korea announced on Tuesday it will mark Feb. 8 as a new anniversary for the founding of its military.
The anniversary, previously held on April 25 and marked with a large military parade, will now take place just one day before the Olympics begins.
The South Korean military said a detailed analysis was needed to understand the North鈥檚 intention behind the date change.
Cheong Seong-chang, a senior fellow at the Sejong Institute south of Seoul, said the anniversary change may be an effort by Kim to distinguish himself from his father and grandfather, emboldened by last year鈥檚 progress on the nuclear and missile programs.
鈥淗e could also be seeking to steal the show from the South by holding a grand anniversary event just before the Olympics begin, and unveiling weapons like new intercontinental ballistic missiles,鈥� Cheong said.