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| 2023-06-27 09:19:32
(Yonhap Interview) Paralympics chief-Koreas
(Yonhap Interview) IPC chief hoping to see N. Korea in 2024 Paralympics
By Yoo Jee-ho and Kim Kyung-youn
SEOUL, June 27 (Yonhap) -- As head of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC), Andrew Parsons would like to see as many countries as possible compete in the Paralympic Games, held in conjunction with the Olympic Games for able-bodied athletes.
In an interview with Yonhap News Agency on Monday during his visit to South Korea, Parsons said he wants to see the reclusive North Korea in Paris for the 2024 Summer Paralympics.
"Their membership is in good standing with the International Paralympic Committee. So far, they have the same possibilities to enter athletes in the Games as any other national Paralympic committee (NPC)," Parsons said at the Korea Paralympic Committee (KPC)'s Icheon Training Center in Icheon, some 60 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
"But we understand the issues that they have with international participation but many other countries also have them, whether it's for financial reasons, whether it's for being in a more isolated position before the international community as is the case of North Korea," Parsons added. "But from an IPC perspective, the doors are open to them. We don't have any limitation on their participation."
With more than a year to go before the Paralympics in the French capital, Parsons acknowledged it was "too early to speculate" on North Korea's participation.
"We have to wait for the end of the qualification period to see if they are going to qualify athletes or not," he said. "Of course, we would like to see them as part of the Games. And more nations for us, the better."
Parsons said it is up to North Korea to first ask for "bipartite" invitations from the IPC and international federations for different sports.
"This bipartite invitation is a process that starts in the nation. North Korea has to apply for that," Parsons said. "It's not something that we from the IPC pick and choose their athletes in any sport. They have to start the process. They have to submit their applications for (invitations) and then we can, together with the respective international federation, assess and make decisions on (them)."
Parsons noted that the IPC is "in communication" with North Korea, though it can't force any country into participating in competitions.
"The national Paralympic committee of North Korea has to want to be part of the international calendar and participate in the international qualification process in different sports," he said. "We don't have their plans in which sports they will try to qualify or if they want to enter athletes in each competition, because they have their autonomy."
Parsons said he would also respect the autonomy of the two Koreas should they decide to march together at the opening ceremony in Paris.
At the 2018 Winter Olympics held in the eastern South Korean resort town of Pyeongchang, the two Koreas marched under the Korean Unification Flag at the opening ceremony. However, they did not display the same solidarity for the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, unable to narrow their differences in the design of the flag.
"In the Paralympic side, they decided not to march together, and we respect that. Of course, we have to have in mind that Pyeongchang was a very specific edition of the Games for both countries because the Games were being held in Korea. So let's say the symbolism of that marching together here, it's bigger than marching together in France," Parsons said. "Our position is that we will respect again what both national Paralympic committees will decide. If the KPC wants to invite the North Korean NPC to march together or the other way around, we will respect them. If they want to do it, they would be allowed to do it, of course. But it needs to come from them. We cannot force them to march together and we cannot be the ones making the first move."
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