A DPRK delegation is continuing its inspection of major venues at the sites of the upcoming PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The eight-member advance team checked venues in the sub-host city of Gangneung on Thursday, the first day of their three-day visit. They are scheduled to head to Pyeongchang to inspect other venues on Friday. The team is led by senior sports official Yun Yong Bok, who arrived in the South along with 12 women's ice hockey players. The DPRK players are set to train and form a unified team with their South Korean counterparts.

Meanwhile, South Korean and US defense chiefs, Song Young-moo and Jim Mattis, will meet in Hawaii on Friday. South Korea's defense ministry said the meeting would be a chance for the allies to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula, and other issues including efforts to make the Winter Olympics a peaceful and safe event.