NK Olympic Delegation

[Anchor Lead]

North Korea's second-ranking official Choe Ryong-hae will lead a delegation to the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. It appears North Korea hopes to use the international sports event as an opportunity to break through diplomatic troubles, according to analysts. Let’s take a look.

[Pkg]

Choe Ryong-hae, a key heavyweight of the Kim Jong-un regime and vice chairman of the North Korean State Affairs Commission, appeared at Pyongyang Airport. He will lead a high-ranking North Korean delegation to the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

[Soundbite] Korean Central TV(N. Korea) : "A high-ranking North Korean delegation led by comrade Choe Ryong-hae left Pyongyang on July 30 to attend the Olympic Games."

Choe reportedly arrived in Beijing on July 30 for a layover and stayed at the North Korean embassy there for three days before leaving for Rio. Choe, who also serves as the head of the North's Physical Culture and Sports Commission, is expected to begin his tour by visiting the roughly 30-member North Korean Olympic squad and encouraging them to win medals at the Games. Kim Jong-un, known to be an avid sports fan, has emphasized the importance of North Korea being a sports powerhouse and dispatched high-level delegates to major sports events ever since he came to power. He has also used North Korea's athletes' achievements to promote his regime.

[Soundbite] Jeong Joon-hee(Unification Ministry Spokesperson) : "With the current sanctions, North Korea will want to use sports as a way to improve its image, and to boost the morale of its people internally by building a reputation as a sports powerhouse."

Analysts have also raised the possibility that Choe could engage in sports-based diplomacy either in Rio or during a stopover in a third country on his way home in order to seek breakthroughs amid international sanctions on Pyongyang.