South Korean Parliament Says Speaker To Visit Opening Of Beijing Winter Olympics

SEOUL (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2022) South Korean National Assembly Speaker Park Byeong-seug will visit China for the opening ceremony of the Beijing Winter Olympics, the country's parliament said on Tuesday.

According to the legislature, the speaker will be in the Chinese capital from February 3- 6 at the invitation of the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, Li Zhanshu.

"Park Byeong-seug and Li Zhanshu will discuss paths to intensify exchanges between the two countries' parliaments, which celebrate the 30th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations this year," the parliament said in a statement.

The speaker's visit will be separate from the official South Korean delegation.

The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will take place in Beijing from February 4-20. South Korea is sending 63 athletes and 61 officials to the event.

In December, the Joe Biden administration announced that the United States would not send an official delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing over alleged human rights violations by China. The move has been supported by the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. Athletes from these countries are still free to compete in the Olympics.