Koreans launch joint Olympic bid

Bid chairman Han Seung-soo is a former United Nations high-flyer

North and South Korea have launched a joint bid for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

They have informed International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge they will both back the bid of South Korean city Pyeongchang.

As part of the deal a unified Korean team will take part in 2014, but they hope to have a combined team in place in time for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

North and South Korea are technically still at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended without a peace treaty.

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In 1964, an attempt was made to form a joint team but political and military tensions ended any hopes of such a deal.

Bid chairman Han Seung-soo, a former president of the United Nations General Assembly, said the bid would be formally launched in January.

Pyeongchang is one of three cities battling it out for the right to host the 2014 Games.

The other contenders are Salzburg in Austria and the Russian city of Sochi.