Seoul, Jan 21 (IANS): South Korea Tuesday said it will approve the participation of athletes from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) in the upcoming Asian Games to be held in the port city of Incheon.
Seoul will allow Pyongyang to compete in the games if DPRK sends entries to the Asian Games organising committee, Yonhap News Agency quoted an official of the unification ministry as saying.
DPRK plans to send its men's and women's football teams to attend the Games from Sept 19 to Oct 4.
But Pyongyang has not officially informed the organising committee of its final decision. It has to send an application to the committee and report the size of its delegation before June 20.
South Korea invited the DPRK to participate in the Games via the Olympic Council of Asia last year.
The DPRK has participated in the last three Asian Games in Busan in 2002, Doha in 2006 and Guangzhou in 2010.