(ATTN: CHANGES photos throughout)
SEOUL, Jan. 26 (Yonhap) -- South Korean officials who recently inspected a ski resort in North Korea found the facilities to be in good enough condition to host joint ski training ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, a government official said Friday.
The two Koreas agreed last week to hold cultural events at Mt. Kumgang and conduct skiing exercises for their non-Olympic athletes at Masikryong Ski Resort on the North's east coast. An advance team of South Korean officials returned home from the North on Thursday after a three-day inspection of venues for joint events.
An official at Seoul's unification ministry said that the condition of the slopes and snow seemed fine and the facilities, including the lifts and gondolas, were operating normally.
"The government sees no problem in hosting practice sessions and joint training (for skiers)," the official said.
This photo, provided by South Korea's unification ministry on Jan. 26, 2018, shows Masikryong Ski Resort in North Korea. (Yonhap)
The move comes as North Korea agreed to send its delegation including athletes, ranking officials and cheerleaders to the Winter Games in the South as part of its rare rapprochement with Seoul.
The joint training plan sparked a heated debate in the South, as critics say that it could promote the ski resort, one of Kim Jong-un's pet projects.
The ski resort, which opened in December 2013, was built with imports of luxury items banned under U.N. sanctions resolutions, including snowmobiles and other high-end goods. The resort, near the eastern town of Wonsan, is located about a four-hour drive from Mount Kumgang, just north of the border.
The advance team also visited Kalma Airport, a military airfield, to check whether it can be used to fly in South Korean skiers to the North Korean ski resort.
The airfield, a 45-minute drive from the ski resort, appeared to be in good condition, the official added. The team also checked logistics, such as the runaway and airport apron, as well as safety equipment.
"Safety is the most important (factor)," the official said. "The ministry plans to consult with other government agencies to decide whether to use (the airport)."
If finalized, the South's delegation may use an airport in Yangyang, 215 kilometers east of Seoul to fly to the North.
This photo, provided by South Korea's unification ministry on Jan. 26, 2018, shows the exterior of Kalma Airport in North Korea's eastern city of Wonsan. (Yonhap)
Meanwhile, the official said that the two Koreas are likely to hold a joint cultural event at Mount Kumgang in early February to celebrate the PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
The date for the event has yet to be fixed, but the two sides are considering holding the event for about two hours at the 620-seat cultural hall of a mountain resort in the North, according to the ministry.
"The South is considering playing modern and traditional music and holding literary events. The North said it would focus on traditional music," the official said.
Asked whether K-pop music will be included in the program, the official said, "We delivered such an idea to the North."
Mt. Kumgang was once a venue bustling with South Korean tourists after the two Koreas launched a joint tour project in 1998. But Seoul suspended the tour program in 2008 when a South Korean tourist was shot and killed by a North Korean soldier there.
At the mountain resort, the Koreas held their last reunions for families separated by the 1950-53 Korean War in October 2015.
The official said that the North covered all expenses incurred by the advance team in the North, including accommodation and meals.
Seoul cannot provide cash directly to the North under a set of U.N. sanctions over the North's nuclear and missile provocations.
The 12-member advance team was led by Lee Joo-tae, a director-general at Seoul's unification ministry. His North Korean counterpart was Ri Hang-jun, a senior official at the sports ministry.
This photo, provided by South Korea's unification ministry on Jan. 26, 2018, shows South Korea's advance team inspecting the 620-seat cultural hall at Mount Kumgang in North Korea, as the two Koreas have agreed to hold a joint cultural event ahead of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics. (Yonhap)
(END)