North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has stressed that North Korean athletes should contribute to inter-Korean harmony and unity, as well as world peace by taking part in the Incheon Asian Games.
 
The North’s state-run Korean Central News Agency said Sunday that Kim made the remark while attending a match to inspect players for the men’s football team ahead of the games in September.
 
The official news agency issued the report as it said the North’s Olympic committee decided it will send a group of athletes to the Asian Games.
 
The KCNA quoted Kim as saying that the North’s participation in the event will contribute to improving relations and settle mistrust between the two Koreas. He stressed that the sacred spirit of sports should not become a political scheme for adverse forces.
 
Kim’s remarks come after the failed working-level discussions between the two Koreas last week on the North’s participation in the Asian Games. With Kim’s latest comments, the North is expected to request additional meetings with the South on the issue.