PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) - International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach arrived in North Korea on Thursday after playing a key role in allowing it to participate in last month’s Pyeongchang Olympic Games in South Korea.
Bach was met at Pyongyang’s international airport by North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il Guk and Jang Ung, the country’s Olympic committee member.
Bach did not take questions at the airport.
It was not known if Bach would meet during his three-day visit with leader Kim Jong Un, who has just returned from a summit in Beijing with Chinese President Xi Jinping, his first known trip abroad as leader. Kim also is to meet with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27.
The IOC said on its website that discussions during Bach’s visit would focus on development of sports in North Korea and the preparation of its athletes to qualify and participate in upcoming Olympics. Of the 22 North Korean athletes who competed in the Pyeongchang Olympics, only two won places on merit and the other 20 were granted spots by the IOC.
During the Pyeongchang Olympics, Bach said he was happy with the role the IOC played in getting North Korea and South Korea together at the games. But he added that sports alone cannot heal all wounds.
“You know sport cannot create peace,” he said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We cannot lead their political negotiations. We have sent this message - this dialogue - that negotiations can lead to a positive result. Now it’s up to the political side to use this momentum.”
Bach, who is German, competed in the Olympics for West Germany when the Germanys were still divided, and says that gives him a special feeling for the Koreas.
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