The presidential office on Friday dismissed the possibility of the two Koreas hosting the 2018 Winter Olympics together.
 
Speaking with reporters, presidential spokesman Min Kyung-wook said the government stands behind its principle that Pyeongchang, which won the bid to host the 2018 Games, will not share its hosting rights.
 
Min’s remarks come after Gangwon Provincial Governor Choi Moon-soon said Monday that he could consider the idea of letting the North host several disciplines of the 2018 Olympics.
 
Unification Minister Ryoo Kihl-jae also said at the National Assembly on Thursday that possibilities are open, depending on how inter-Korean relations develop. The ministry, however, later backtracked on its statement, saying the government is not considering the joint hosting of the 2018 Olympics.