Protests as North Korean delegation arrives at the Olympics

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North Korean chief delegate Kim Yong Chol (2nd-R) and other military officers are greeted by South Korean officers after crossing the border line at the south side of the truce village of Panmunjom, in the demilitarized zone (DMZ), separating the two Koreas since 1950-53 Korean War, north of Seoul, 12 December 2007. AFP PHOTO / POOL (Photo credit should read LEE JIN-MAN/AFP/Getty Images)

PYEONGCHANG: A North Korean delegation headed by a former intelligence chief has been greeted by protests as it crossed into South Korea to attend the closing ceremony.

General Kim Yong-chol is blamed for killing 46 seamen when a South Korean warship was attacked in 2010. North Korea has denied involvement in the ship’s sinking. The protests against his arrival in South Korea were held by families of the victims and some conservative members of parliament.

He is the former head of the General Reconnaissance Bureau tasked with foreign espionage and cyber attacks and currently leads the United Front Department, a civilian intelligence agency. The South Korean President Moon Jae-in is scheduled to meet the delegation and his government has welcomed their arrival.

The Olympics closing ceremony will also be attended by Donald Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump. There are speculations that officials from the US and North Korea could meet during the ceremony.