The International Olympic Committee(IOC) has welcomed the decision to have North Korea send its athletes to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 

IOC President Thomas Bach said in a statement that the North’s participation is a “great step forward in the Olympic spirit.”

He added the IOC will wait for the official reports and proposals from the inter-Korean high-level talks, during which the North agreed on its participation in the sporting event to be hosted by the South next month. 

The IOC will discuss the number and names of athletes from the North and the format of their participation, including flag, anthem and ceremonies. 

North Korea's IOC representative, Chang Ung, is expected to meet with Bach at IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland on Wednesday to discuss which sports events North Korea can participate in using wild card options.