The head of the International Olympics Committee (IOC) has praised the rapid rise of Korea’s sports.

In a meeting with local athletes Tuesday, IOC President Jacques Rogge also said he expects to see a unified inter-Korean team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Earlier on Monday, President Roh Moo-hyun invited Rogge and his wife to dinner at the presidential residence, welcoming him on the occasion of his second visit to South Korea as the IOC's leader.

Roh also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the nation for the IOC's retaining of the Korean martial art of “taekwondo” as an official event for the upcoming Olympic Games.