The presidential office has said that it held the year's first standing committee meeting of the National Security Council on Tuesday chaired by Chung Eui-yong, head of the National Security Office.

During the meeting, participants assessed the New Year's message issued by North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. They also discussed Seoul's response to Pyongyang's expressed willingness to send a delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics and proposal for talks to discuss this issue.

Concrete follow-up measures to directives given by President Moon Jae-in in a Cabinet meeting held earlier Tuesday were also said to have been discussed during the meeting. 

President Moon had ordered measures to realize North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Games and asked officials to seize this opportunity to improve cross-border relations and resolve the North Korea nuclear issue at the same time.

The Security Council meeting was attended by the foreign, defense and unification ministers as well as presidential Chief of Staff Im Jong-seok, National Intelligence Service Director Suh Hoon and ranking officials of the National Security Office.

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