North Korean figure skating duo, Ryom Tae-ok, left, and Kim Ju-sik, have their first practice at Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, Friday. / Yonhap

By Choi Ha-young

Two North Korean staff members, who were not registered with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), have been staying here since Jan. 25 for the PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games, the Ministry of Unification realized Friday.

On Thursday, 32 North Korean delegates to the Olympics arrived at Yangyang International Airport. Since Jan. 25, 15 North Koreans ― female ice hockey team coach Pak Chol-ho, 12 athletes and two staff members ― have been training at the Jincheon National Training Center in Jincheon, North Chungcheong Province, for a joint team with South Korean players.

While 47 North Koreans have come to the South, only 46 had received their accreditations from the IOC when the organization and the two Koreas agreed on the North's participation at a meeting in Lausanne earlier in January.

Asked about the discrepancy, ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said the IOC had not accredited one person associated with the ice hockey team.

"The 32 people who arrived by plane yesterday are all on the IOC list," Baik said in the ministry's regular press briefing Friday. "It seems that someone from the 15-member ice hockey team has not been registered with the IOC."

However, later in the afternoon, it turned out that two North Koreans were staying here without accreditation.

"One more person with IOC accreditation will come to the South on Feb. 7, along with a taekwondo demonstration team and cheerleaders," the ministry said in a message to reporters. It then confirmed two of the hockey team staff members were without accreditation.

It seems the ministry had been unaware that the two were not registered with the IOC until the second group of the delegation arrived Thursday evening and the numbers did not match.

"Today (Friday) we found out the additional figure would join the delegation later," Baik told The Korea Times.

Without the accreditation, the two people cannot enter the Gangneung Olympic Village and stadiums. But the ministry said the people would not have to return to the North because of the oversight.

"The North and the IOC will discuss whether to register the two people," Baik said.

In the meantime, on their second day in the village, North Korean figure skating pair Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ji-sik had their first practice at the Gangneung Ice Arena. After about 30 minutes of training in the morning, they left without speaking to the media.

Meanwhile, the North's female ice hockey players, who are practicing with the South Koreans, will move to Gangneung Olympic Village on Sunday, right after a warm-up game against Sweden.