International Olympic Committee(IOC) President Thomas Bach says that North Korea promised to send teams to the Tokyo and Beijing Olympics.

The IOC chief on Thursday pledged the committee's full support for the North's Olympic participation during a news conference with journalists from South Korea, China and Japan at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. 

When asked if North Korea would continue to participate in the Olympics, Bach said that the North promised to participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020 and Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022 and it's the IOC's duty to encourage all the countries in the world to overcome political tensions and participate in the games.  

Bach said that during his recent trip to Beijing, he met with the North's National Olympic Committee to discuss coaching and equipment for North Korean athletes, adding related issues will be discussed again in a meeting among the two Koreas, China and Japan set for Friday.

[Photo : YONHAP News]