The world's biggest sporting event for university students will kick off Thursday amid raised spirits after North Korea withdrew its boycott threat at the last moment.

North Korea is one of 171 countries, that have promised to participate in the biennial games, the largest ever in the Universiade's 44-year history.

Other countries taking part include Iraq, Afghanistan, East Timor and Israel.

Athletes of the two Koreas have agreed to march together during the opening and closing ceremonies of the games. They previously had marched together at the Sydney Olympics in 2000 and the Busan Asian Games in 2002.

On the sidelines of the games, sports officials from the two Koreas will meet to discuss proposals to field a unified team for the 2004 Olympics in Athens and to boost inter-Korean sports exchanges.