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North Korean skaters share the ice with their South Korean rivals at Winter Olympic training as world awaits crunch talks

North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik didn't socialise much with their counterparts in today's practice session for the the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games

OLYMPIC athletes from Cold War rivals North and South Korea met on the ice today in a move that could defrost tensions between the two nations.

North Korean figure skaters Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik didn't socialise much with their counterparts in today's practice session for the the Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games.

North Korea's Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik, centre, practice next to South Korea's Kim Kyueun, front right, and Kam Alex Kang Chan
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North Korea's Ryom Tae Ok and Kim Ju Sik, centre, practice next to South Korea's Kim Kyueun, front right, and Kam Alex Kang ChanCredit: AP:Associated Press
The two Koreas are technically still at war
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The two Koreas are technically still at warCredit: AP:Associated Press

South Korean skater Alex Kam said: "We didn't have much time to talk because our warm-up schedule was different, but we just said 'Hi'."

"We were just talking about our schedule for this weekend.

"They're really friendly and really bright, so it wasn't too difficult to get close to them.

"It was nice to train alongside them because they're a really good team, so when there are good teams training with us, it pushes us a bit more."

North Korea's attendance at the games could lead to a diplomatic breakthrough
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North Korea's attendance at the games could lead to a diplomatic breakthroughCredit: AP:Associated Press
North Korea's Ryom Tae Ok (left) and Kim Ju Sik are known on the international circuit
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North Korea's Ryom Tae Ok (left) and Kim Ju Sik are known on the international circuitCredit: EPA
The pair briefly spoke to their South Korean counterparts
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The pair briefly spoke to their South Korean counterpartsCredit: EPA

The two Koreas are technically at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice.

However, the tension between the rival nations spills over into violence - such as the recent shooting of a North Korean defector.

South Korea's government sees North Korea's participation in the Games both in sporting events and cultural exchanges as a way to calm tensions caused by Pyongyang's recent nuclear and missile tests and war of words with the United States.

The current mood of reconciliation between the Koreas flared after North Korean leader Kim Jong Un abruptly expressed his willingness to improve ties and send a delegation to the Olympics during his annual New Year's address.

The joint Korea ice hockey team play their first game ahead of the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics while protesters gather outside the venue
North Korean short track speed skater Jong Kwang Bom shares a joke with a Russian athlete
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North Korean short track speed skater Jong Kwang Bom shares a joke with a Russian athleteCredit: EPA
The athlete was seen in training with the Russian team
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The athlete was seen in training with the Russian teamCredit: EPA

Outside critics have dismissed Kim's overture as a tactic to use improved ties with Seoul to weaken U.S.-led international sanctions over North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile programmes.

Ryom and Kim are the only North Koreans who met the Olympic qualifying standards in their sport prior to being invited.

They're also rare among North Korean athletes in having competed at several competitions abroad, where they'd mixed with foreign skaters including Kam and his partner Kim Kyu-eun.

North Korean national flag is displayed outside the regime's dormitory at the athletes' village in Gangneung
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North Korean national flag is displayed outside the regime's dormitory at the athletes' village in GangneungCredit: AFP
An advance group of North Korea's 140-member Samjiyon Band arrive at the Korea-transit office just before crossing over in South Korea
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An advance group of North Korea's 140-member Samjiyon Band arrive at the Korea-transit office just before crossing over in South KoreaCredit: Getty - Pool
North Korean athletes team touch down in PyeongChang for Winter Olympics despite political unrest between them and South Korea
North Korean 'ghost ships' full of corpses keep washing ashore in Japan

Ryom and Kim regularly consulted their coaches rinkside and Kim at one point visibly winced when a Japanese skater fell near him.
They didn't stop to chat with the dozens of assembled South Korean and international journalists.

Meanwhile, an advance group of North Korea's performance squad, who will perform at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games, arrived at the Korea-transit office near the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Koreas in Paju.

North Korea will send its 140-member Samjiyon art troupe to the South for two concerts -- one in the capital Seoul and another in Gangneung.

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