DPRK athletes to arrive in S. Korea for Winter Olympics later Thursday

SEOUL, Feb. 1 (Xinhua) -- Athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) will come to South Korea late Thursday by plane to participate in the South Korea-hosted Winter Olympics, Seoul's unification ministry said.

Unification Ministry Spokesman Baek Tae-hyun told a regular press briefing that the DPRK's athlete delegation was scheduled to arrive at the Yangyang International Airport in South Korea's east region at about 5:45 p.m. local time (0845 GMT).

The DPRK delegation will come together with South Korean skiers, who had trained for two days with DPRK athletes at the DPRK's Masikryong Ski Resort, the spokesman said.

The plane carrying the South Korean and the DPRK athletes will take off from the Kalma airport in the DPRK's east city of Wonsan.

The DPRK athlete delegation, composed of 10 athletes, three coaches and 18 supporting personnel, will be led by Won Kil-u, the DPRK's vice minister of physical sports.

The DPRK athletes include three skiers, three cross country skiers, two short track speed skaters and two pair figure skaters.

Twelve DPRK athletes already arrived in South Korea last week for a joint women's ice hockey team, the first unified Olympic team between the two Koreas. Enditem