A South Korean delegation on Tuesday began inspecting facilities in North Korea to help prepare for an inter-Korean cultural event and joint athlete training ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. 

After crossing the border early in the day for a three-day trip, the 12-member team checked the concert hall and other facilities on Mount Geumgang. 

In the afternoon, they visited the Masikryong Ski Resort to check out accommodations for South Korean athletes who will train there. 

A high-ranking Seoul official told reporters that the South Korean delegation set up a direct telephone line at a hotel within the resort that will be used to communicate with officials in the South. 

After staying the night at the hotel, the South Koreans will conduct inspections at the ski resort Wednesday, as well as the Kalma International Airport in Wonsan before returning to the hotel for one more night. 

The delegation will return to South Korea at around 5:30 p.m. Thursday via the Donghae Line transit office on the eastern border. 

That same day, a North Korean delegation led by Yoon Yong-bok, a deputy director at North Korea’s sports ministry, will visit South Korea to inspect PyeongChang Olympic venues and make prearrangements for North Korean athletes expected to participate in the Winter Games.