Our top story this morning...
The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games came to a close on Sunday night in the same place they burst open slightly over two weeks ago.
While there was plenty of focus on the ceremony itself and the various performances,... political watchers were keeping a close eye on President Moon Jae-in, and his guests: U.S. First Daughter Ivanka Trump,... and high-ranking North Korean general Kim Yong-chol.
For more on what was an eventful day in Pyeongchang,... Lee Seung-jae reports.
With the 2018 Winter Olympics coming to a close on Sunday night,... the focus was on President Moon Jae-in and his guests of honor,... the U.S. First Daughter and White House advisor, Ivanka Trump,...... and North Korean general Kim Yong-chol.
Entering the VIP enclosure at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium,... President Moon shook hands with Ivanka Trump,... and soon afterwards with Kim Yong-chol,... but there was no interaction between the American and North Korean delegations.
South Korea's presidential office released a statement on Sunday,... stating that Kim Yong-chol expressed North Korea's willingness to begin dialogue with the U.S. when he met with President Moon shortly before the start of the closing ceremony.
According to a spokesman for the Blue House,... President Moon pointed out that U.S.-North Korea dialogue must take place in order to improve relations between the two Koreas and to find a fundamental solution to issues on the Korean Peninsula.
The spokesman added the North Korean delegates agreed that inter-Korean ties and relations between the North and the U.S. should develop simultaneously.
The White House later released a statement saying the U.S. "will see" if North Korea's willingness for talks is a commitment to denuclearize.
It added that the U.S. and the world must continue to make clear that Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs are a dead end.
Dubbed the 'Peace Olympics',... there's hope the PyeongChang Winter Games have opened doors for a more peaceful Peninsula,... and could potentially be the catalyst that brings the U.S. and North Korea back to talks.
Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News.
