South Korea Olympic officials relieved North Korea qualified

USOC letter assures Olympians about South Korea securitySEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean Olympic officials said they were pleased after a North Korean figure skating pair became the nation’s first athletes to qualify for the PyeongChang Olympics, hoping it might help improve strained relations between the countries.

Tension has been rising recently due to North Korea’s nuclear test and multiple missile launches that also triggered an escalating war of words between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump.

South Korea has been hoping North Korea takes part in the Winter Games.

Sung Baikyou of PyeongChang’s organizing committee said Saturday the achievement by North…