N. Korea to send Kim Yong-nam to lead high-level delegation for PyeongChang Winter Olympics

Our top story this afternoon...North Korea will send its ceremonial head of state, Kim Yong-nam, to South Korea on Friday.He will lead a high-level delegation to the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics.And around 30 minutes ago, the advance team for North Korea's art troupe entered South Korea to prepare for the North's cultural events.Ji Myung-kil starts us off. Kim Yong-nam,... North Korea's ceremonial head of state,... will lead a 22-member delegation to South Korea for a three-day visit beginning this Friday.Kim, who is the head of parliament in North Korea, will attend the PyeongChang Winter Olympics opening ceremony, which will also be attended by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence. South Korea's unification ministry said Kim will lead a delegation of three other government officials and eighteen support staff.He will be the highest-level official to visit the South in four years.While in the South,... the North's delegation will likely attend the united Korean women's ice hockey team's match this Saturday,... and even possibly meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in. The North's participation in the Games is widely seen as a diplomatic maneuver by Pyongyang as it faces growing international pressure and sanctions over its nuclear and missile programs. In preparation for the North's cultural events, a twenty-three member advance team arrived in the South using the western land route on Monday morning.The members are a working group to prepare for the concerts that will be held this Thursday in the Olympic host city of Gangneung, and in Seoul this coming Sunday.The group will be bringing musical instruments and other equipment necessary for the performances. On Tuesday, the leader of the Samjiyon Orchestra... Hyon Song-wol will likely lead the rest of the 140 member art troupe into South Korea by ship, using the eastern coastal route.Ji Myung-kil, Arirang News.South Korea's Blue House welcomed the visit of North Korea's high-level delegation led by Kim Yong-nam.The Blue House spokesperson stressed the trip reflects North Korea's sincere efforts to improve inter-Korean relationships and to make the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics a success.