South Korea's vice culture minister says North Korea is highly likely to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics set to open in February next year in Gangwon Province. 
 
Vice Minister for Culture Roh Tae-kang, who is visiting the U.S. to promote the event, made the remarks on Thursday during a meeting with reporters in New York.
 
Roh said that Chang Ung, the North's delegate to the International Olympic Committee(IOC), dismissed the prospect of the North's participation in the sporting event in June, but recently said "politics and Olympics are separate things," hinting at the North's possible participation.
 
The vice minister said that Seoul is making constant efforts to encourage the North to participate in the Olympics through the IOC, adding that North Korean athletes are participating in qualifying games for some events of the PyeongChang Olympics.

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