PM says PyeongChang Olympics will be a success despite tensions

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Monday that the PyeongChang Winter Olympics will turn out to be a success, just as the 1988 Seoul Olympics and the 2002 soccer World Cup were successfully held despite tensions with North Korea.

Speaking at a meeting of South Korean businessmen based in Greece, Lee pointed out that the 1988 Games was held just months after North Korea's bombing of a Korean Air flight that killed all 115 people aboard, but it was the most participated-in Olympics up until then.

The Los Angeles Olympics four years earlier were boycotted by the Soviet Union and others in response to the 1980 boycott by the United States of the games in Moscow, but countries on both sides participated in the Seoul Games, Lee said.

Lee also said that the 2002 World Cup, which the South co-hosted with Japan, also took place amid heightened tensions in the wake of a deadly naval skirmish between the two Koreas near their western sea border, but the event was one of the World Cup's greatest successes.

"The PyeongChang Olympics will also be a success," he said.

Lee said that he doesn't believe the North's leader is unintelligent enough to undertake provocations when a global festival is under way.

"On the contrary, (the Olympics) will be a good opportunity for the North Korean leader to send a message that 'what we want is not anxiety but we also want peace,'" Lee said. "He may think whatever he wants to think, but if I were him, I would think that way."

Lee also expressed his hope for the North's participation in the PyeongChang Games, noting that two North Korean figure skaters won the right to participate in the Olympics. Lee highlighted remarks that the North's International Olympic Committee member, Chang Ung, made in an interview indicating he believes there won't be any big problem with the PyeongChang Olympics because politics is separate from the Olympics.

"There have been a few positive signs (regarding the North's participation), but we're not yet at the point where we can disclose them," Lee said.

Lee was on a visit to Greece to attend the Olympic torch-lighting ceremony in the city of Olympus and for meetings with President Prokopios Pavlopoulos and Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. He is the South's first prime minister to visit the country since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1961.

During a meeting with Greek President Prokopios Pavlopoulos, Lee thanked Greece for sending its troops to defend South Korea during the 1950-53 Korean War.

Lee said South Korea was able to defend its democracy and peace due to their sacrifice.

Pavlopoulos took note of a recent European Union resolution that condemned North Korea's latest nuclear test and missile launches, urging the North to comply with U.N. resolutions.

After holding a bilateral meeting with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, Lee said the two nations agreed to diversify trade items. So far, their bilateral trade has been focused on shipbuilding.

South Korea seeks to export its energy products to Greece, while wanting to import more Greek olive oil and wine, Lee said.

South Korea and Greece also signed a memorandum of understanding that calls for Seoul to help Athens build an electronic government system, Lee said during a press conference.

Source : Yonhap