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NK's Universiade Delegation Delays Trip

2003-08-18

The North Korean delegation to the Daegu Universiade failed to arrive at Kimhae Airport in South Korea on Sunday (Aug. 17) as scheduled. North Korea cancelled both flights of the delegation citing "technical problems."

According to the Daegu organizing committee, the North announced that technical failings had left the two scheduled planes grounded in Pyongyang. The notice came in a cable message sent through Panmunjom, a truce village, at 07:50 a.m.

The North originally planned to dispatch a 218-strong delegation in two airlines at 08:00 a.m. to Kimhae Airport, a one-hour drive from the host city. This group scheduled to arrive was to be the first of the 500-strong delegation.

The North neither gave detailed causes of the sudden cancellation nor notified when they would resume the cancelled flight and continue on its original plan.

According to the original schedule, the remaining 282 members of the delegation were supposed to join the first group in South Korea today.

The organizing committee called off the welcoming ceremony following the cancellation.

''We assume that the sudden cancellation is due only to technical problems with Air Koryo, not any other major factors. We are waiting for notification from the North on its schedule,'' said Kwak Jeong-tahk, an official of the organizing committee in charge of the North Korean delegation.

This year's Universiade is scheduled to open Thursday for an 11-day run, with 11,000 athletes and officials from a record 175 countries taking part.

North Korea plans to send 500 delegates, including 94 athletes, 92 officials, 11 referees and 303 cheerleaders, the biggest ever mission the Communist nation has ever sent to the university sporting event.

The North's vice education minister Jon Kuk-man leads the delegation.

They plan to participate in women's football, men's volleyball, diving, apparatus gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, judo, western-style archery, athletic sports, tennis and fencing.

Source : www.korea.net