South and North Korea open talks to discuss details of North's participation at Paralympics

Representatives from South and North Korea have just met to discuss the North's participation at the PyeongChang Paralympics next month.This comes on the heels of the Olympics, where the North's participation was generally considered a success.We have on the line Kwon Jang-ho, our correspondent at the unification ministry.What can we expect from the talks today, Jang-ho? Good morning, Mark.The representatives from the two Koreas should have met by now at the border village of Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone.The topic of discussion is arranging the details of the North's participation at the PyeongChang Paralympics that will start on March 9th. The South's three-member delegation is led by Lee Joo-tae, the director-general of inter-Korean exchanges, alongside another unification ministry official and the Paralympics chief of the PyeongChang Organizing Committee.The North's delegation includes Hwang Chung-song , an official from Pyongyang's state agency of inter-Korean affairs, who will be accompanied by two representative from North Korean organizations for disabled people. Details to be discussed include the exact number of athletes, what events they will take part in, as well as their travel arrangements, accommodation and other logistical issues.This carries on from talks last month, where the two Korea's made an initial agreement that Pyongyang would send a 150-member delegation, that also includes an art troupe and cheering squad. It's similar to the arrangements that were made for the Olympics, but on a smaller scale as that delegation consisted of almost 500 members. So today's talks are expected to go smoothly.The South Korean chief, Lee Joo-tae, said before he left for Panmunjeom this morning that he would do everything he can to continue the mood towards improving inter-Korean relations.Back to you, Mark.