Winter Olympics goes beyond sport; top North Korean general, Ivanka trump to attain closing ceremony

Seoul, February 22: Like opening ceremony of Winter Olympics, the closing ceremony will also attract many eyes for the gathering of high-level political leaders. North Korea will send one of its highest ranking figures, General Kim Yong-Chol to the ceremony. His visit will coincide with a visit by a U.S. delegation led by President Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka.

Hence in this weekend during the closing ceremony US President Donald Trump's daughter Ivanka will come face-to-face with the top North Korean general. During the opening ceremony, United States Vice President Mike Pence sat closer to the North Korean delegation including Kim Jong Un’s influential sister.

There have been high concerns regarding North Korean attitude during the event. Analysts fear North Korea is charming offensive to weaken US-South Korea alley as well as to lessen the burden of tough sanction in consequence to its nuclear activities.

Kim Yong-chol is under sanction and South is maintaining talks with the US to take permission for his entry in South Korea. “Close consultation is under way with the US to make the North Korean delegation’s trip to the South take place under that frame,” a foreign ministry spokesperson of the country said.

It is clear that many South Koreans are not taking the decision very well. “Kim is a bad guy, not a good guy. The fact he is allowed into the country shows that the Moon administration disagrees with the findings of the conservative administrations; that is the only way to understand this,” said Go Myong-hyun, a North Korea expert at Seoul’s Asan Institute, a think tank.