North Korea Will Be Represented by 22 Athletes at Next Month’s Winter Olympics: IOC

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach attends a meeting with the National Olympic Committee (NOC) of the Republic of Korea (ROK), the NOC of the North Korea, and a delegation from the PyeongChang 2018 Organising Committee (POCOG) at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, Jan. 20, 2018. Reuters/Pierre Albouy

SEOUL–Seoul welcomed confirmation by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) that 22 North Korean athletes would compete in next month’s Winter Olympics, saying on Sunday it would aid peace and the easing of tensions on the Korean peninsula.

In the first of a series of preparatory visits, North Korean music and arts officials arrived in South Korea on Sunday to inspect sites for performances during the Olympics.