Vice President Pence, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics, has called a report that a gay figure skater declined a meeting with him “fake news."
South Korean President Moon Jae-in will meet with Kim Jong-un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, and other North Korean officials during a luncheon on Saturday in Pyeongchang, the Associated Press reports.
Why it matters: Kim Yo Jong is believed to be the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea since the 1950-53 Korean War, and the meeting underscores the effort by both countries to use the Olympics as a means to improve escalating tensions in the region.
The 2018 Winter Olympics, which kick off Feb. 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea, will feature a record-breaking eight African countries, according to Quartz.
Why it matters: The absence of wintery conditions has played an obvious role in the fact that only 13 African countries — 15 with this year's addition of Eritrea and Nigeria — have ever participated in the Winter Games. The 13 athletes set to compete this year each have a chance to become the first African to ever win a Winter Olympics medal.
The sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is planning to travel to Pyeongchang to attend the Winter Olympics as a part of the North's delegation, officials told the AP. Kim Yo Jong is believed to be the first member of the Kim dynasty to visit South Korea since the armistice in 1953.
Why this matters: Experts on the leading North Korean family say that the decision to send an influential figure like Kim Yo Jong, believed to be around 30-years-old, is meant to draw international attention and lighten North Korea's harsh human rights image.
