The South Korean presidential office said that an important stepping stone to a peace Olympics has been laid, after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) decided on details of North Korea's Olympic participation on Saturday.
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​A senior Cheong Wa Dae official made the remarks on Sunday, saying that the formation of the joint ice hockey team seems to have been arranged rationally.
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​The IOC announced on Saturday that North Korea will send 22 athletes to the upcoming PyeongChang Olympics and the two Koreas will field a unified women's ice hockey team, with 12 North Korean players joining South Korea's 23-member squad.
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​Another official at the presidential office said that the unified team is needed for the North's participation in the Olympics, adding if North Korea changes its attitude after the Olympics, it is a problem that would be dealt with later and that South Korea will make sure such things will not happen.
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​The top office pledged to ensure South Korean athletes will not have any disadvantages from the unified team, expressing hope that the single team and the joint march at the opening and closing ceremonies will help improve inter-Korean relations and resolve the North Korean nuclear issue.