President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, sent a letter to the presidents of the National Olympic Committees and other members of the Olympic family regarding the tensions in the Korean peninsula and their impact on the organization of the Winter Olympics in Pyongyang in 2018. To: IOC Honorary President IOC Members IOC Honorary Members IOC Honour Member ANOC President Presidents of the National Olympic Committees AIOWF President Presidents of the International Olympic Winter Federations Lausanne, 5 September 2017 Dear Colleagues and Friends, Dear Presidents, Given the recent developments on the Korean Peninsula, I wanted to inform you about the actions the International Olympic Committee is taking to ensure that the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018 will take place in the Olympic spirit of peace and friendship. We all know how volatile the situation is and this is why we are in regular and close contact directly with governments. We of course hope and appeal to all sides that diplomacy and peace will prevail. In all our conversations that we have had, nobody has put the Olympic Games in doubt. On the contrary, the Olympic Games are seen by the international community as an important way to promote peace in the world and in the region. For this reason, the Member States of the United Nations are currently preparing the Olympic Truce resolution for adoption by the UN General Assembly in November. Based on our principle of political neutrality, we are keeping the door open for a possible participation of athletes from the National Olympic Committee of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea in the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. We have offered support to North Korean athletes for their qualification. Even if they should miss qualification, the IOC, together with the International Federations, is ready to find a solution for such a participation, should the NOC of the DPRK so wish. Our contacts in this regard are ongoing. In the meantime, the preparations for PyeongChang 2018 are progressing very well. The last visit of the IOC Coordination Commission confirmed that the Organising Committee is well on its way to delivering successful Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. With all permanent venues complete or nearing completion, PyeongChang is ready to welcome the world. The Organising Committee will present its update on the preparations at our upcoming IOC Session in Lima. We are of course continuing to monitor the situation on the Korean Peninsula very closely and keep you updated. Looking forward to the great pleasure of our next personal meeting, I remain, Yours sincerely,
