North: No bar to 3rd IOC seat

A North Korean member of the International Olympic Committee said he would support a seat for another South Korean member on the committee, the Voice of America reported yesterday.

Chang Ung, a North Korean IOC member, said in a phone interview with the U.S. government-run news agency that he would support a possible bid by Choue Chung-won, president of the World Taekwondo Federation, if he seeks to become the third South Korean on the committee.

Chang was speaking from Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he was attending an IOC meeting.

He said he had no reason to oppose Choue’s bid and that it would be beneficial to have more Koreans from both sides of the DMZ as members.

Choue fell short in July when he tried to win what would have become Seoul’s third IOC seat.

The North Korean IOC member said Pyongyang’s International Taekwondo Federation and Seoul’s WTF have made progress on a plan to allow North Korea’s taekwondo team to compete in the summer Olympics.

The IOC does not recognize North Korea’s governing taekwondo body and bars athletes from the North from competing.

BY KANG JIN-KYU [jkkang2@joongang.co.kr]