Political parties have shown mixed reaction to the two Koreas’ decision to field a joint women’s ice hockey team and an ongoing visit to South Korea by a North Korean delegation. 

Ruling Democratic Party Floor Leader Woo Won-shik on Monday expressed regret that the main opposition Liberty Korea Party(LKP) is seeking to hamper efforts to make the PyeongChang Olympics an Olympics of peace. 

LKP Chairman Hong Joon-pyo, on his part, said the North Korean delegation's visit demonstrates that the PyeongChang Olympics are becoming a “Pyongyang” Olympics. An advance team from the North is touring the South's facilities as a 140-member art troupe is set to perform in South Korea next month. 

Among the People’s Party, opinions were divided between lawmakers who support the merger with the Bareun Party and those who don’t.

Legislators who support the merger said that the government will inevitably be dragged around by the North as long as it views the PyeongChang Games as a political event instead of an international sporting event.

Those who oppose the merger said they hail the two Koreas’ decisions on the Olympics.