S. Korea not considering diplomatic boycott of Beijing Olympics

 

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Seoul is not considering a boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics.

But no decision has been made regarding participation by a South Korean government delegation,... reiterating its initial stance of hoping the event contributes to peace.

South Korea is not considering a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in China... but no decision has been made regarding the participation of government representatives.
That's according to a senior Blue House official Wednesday.

This comes after the U.S. recently announced a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics citing what it sees as China's human rights atrocities.
In response, Beijing has said it would take "resolute countermeasures" but didn't elaborate.

The Blue House official said that Washington had notified Seoul of its decision,... but that it would be up to other countries to decide whether they follow suit.
Those not sending representatives also include Australia and New Zealand.
The official added that South Korea supports the Olympics... reiterating the hope that the Games can contribute to peace and the development of inter-Korean relations.

As to whether the U.S. boycott will be a setback for Seoul's push for a declaration to end the 1950-to-53 Korean War,... the official said that the Olympics and the declaration do not have a "direct link."
There's speculation that the Beijing Games could be a venue for declaring an end to the conflict.
The official explained that the government has not designated a specific time or event,... adding that South Korea and the U.S. have been in consultations on the matter... and that the response from North Korea will be a key point.