Go to contents

‘U.S. will attend the Winter Olympics,’ says Cheong Wa Dae

‘U.S. will attend the Winter Olympics,’ says Cheong Wa Dae

Posted December. 09, 2017 07:05,   

Updated December. 09, 2017 08:11

한국어

Speculations are being made that U.S. First Lady Melania Trump will head the U.S. presidential delegation to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, which starts on Feb. 9 next year. U.S. President Donald Trump’s eldest daughter Ivanka is known to have not been included in the delegation due to schedules.

According to diplomatic sources on Thursday, President Trump reportedly told his Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in during his visit to Korea last month that he would send his family to the upcoming Winter Olympic Games. Upon invitation to Pyeongchang from President Moon, Trump is understood to have said that even though he will not be able to attend himself, high-level people including first family will participate in the Olympic games. An official at Cheong Wa Dae also said that the United States clearly promised to participate in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics during a phone call between the two presidents last Thursday and that the United States Olympic Committee officially announced the participation of the country two months ago.

The White House and the U.S. State Department rushed to clear up confusion arisen after U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley suggested that the United States’ participation in the upcoming Winter Olympics in Korea remains an "open question." On Thursday, right after the regular briefing, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders played down any suggestion of a U.S. no-show, while writing on Tweeter that the United States looks forward to participating in the Winter Olympics in South Korea.”



weappon@donga.com · parky@donga.com