The International Olympic Committee remains unchanged in its stance on the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in Pyeongchang/South Korea following the launch of a new missile launch by North Korea.The games will take place in February 2018 only about 80 kilometers from the border of the divided country.
“We’ll stick to our position.There’s no Plan B.The games are on schedule,”said IOC spokesman Mark Adams on the fringes of the Lima IOC summit.Also IOC Executive Director Juan Antonio Samaranch Jr.saw no reason for a new rating:”Our task is to organise the best games.We’re not politicians.”
IOC athlete spokeswoman Angela Ruggiero also refused to speak of a new danger.The top athletes are accustomed to traveling to different countries,”Pyeongchang will be the safest place,”said the American.
North Korea fired a rocket on Friday morning, which flew over the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and then crashed into the Pacific Ocean.This was announced by the Japanese government.It was not until the end of August that North Korea launched a medium-range missile over Japan.
Ban Ki-moon (73), the new chairman of the IOC Commission on Ethics and himself a South Korean, had also played down the threat:”I can assure that all athletes can start at the games in Pyeongchang without having to worry,”said the long-standing Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN).
Ban explained that there would be no ideological differences in Korea when it comes to sport:”Last year, a football team from South Korea travelled to the north and they were warmly welcomed.Both national anthems were sung, both flags raised,”reported the 73-year-old.