Moon meets with Russian Olympic athletes, reports Yonhap

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S. Korean President Moon Jae-in on Tuesday met with Russian athletes participating in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics as individuals due to a years-long drug-cheating scandal at Cheong Wa Dae, Yonhap reported citing a source from the presidential house.

The head of the Russian Olympic delegation and three other officials were also invited to the meeting at the S. Korean presidential office.

"I thank Russia for sending a large delegation to the PyeongChang Winter Olympics despite many difficult conditions it faced," Moon told the meeting expressing his gratitude for Russia's participation.

"Russia's participation has not only helped our PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games shine brighter but has also been a great help to the S. Korean government's efforts to turn the PyeongChang Olympic Games into a festival for global peace and unity," he added.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in poses for photographs with delegation of the Olympic Athletes from Russia during their meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, South Korea, February 20, 2018. /VCG Photo

The S. Korean president also sent his condolences over a Russian plane crash that killed 71 people onboard on February 11.

The Russian athletes thanked Moon for his invitation and relayed Russian President Vladimir Putin's message for Moon to visit Russia during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Russia from attending the PyeongChang Winter Olympics last December, citing its "unprecedented systematic manipulation" of the Olympic anti-doping system, but left the door open to athletes with no history of doping to compete as neutrals.

The IOC on February 5 turned down a request by the suspended Russian Olympic Committee to invite 13 Russian athletes and two coaches to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, after their suspensions were lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.