Our top story this morning...<br />The 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympic Games came to a close on Sunday night in the same place they burst open slightly over two weeks ago.<br />While there was plenty of focus on the ceremony itself and the various performances,... political watchers were keeping a close eye on President Moon Jae-in, and his guests: U.S. First Daughter Ivanka Trump,... and high-ranking North Korean general Kim Yong-chol.<br />For more on what was an eventful day in Pyeongchang,... Lee Seung-jae reports. <br /> With the 2018 Winter Olympics coming to a close on Sunday night,... the focus was on President Moon Jae-in and his guests of honor,... the U.S. First Daughter and White House advisor, Ivanka Trump,...... and North Korean general Kim Yong-chol. <br /> Entering the VIP enclosure at the PyeongChang Olympic Stadium,... President Moon shook hands with Ivanka Trump,... and soon afterwards with Kim Yong-chol,... but there was no interaction between the American and North Korean delegations.<br /> South Korea's presidential office released a statement on Sunday,... stating that Kim Yong-chol expressed North Korea's willingness to begin dialogue with the U.S. when he met with President Moon shortly before the start of the closing ceremony. <br /> According to a spokesman for the Blue House,... President Moon pointed out that U.S.-North Korea dialogue must take place in order to improve relations between the two Koreas and to find a fundamental solution to issues on the Korean Peninsula.<br />The spokesman added the North Korean delegates agreed that inter-Korean ties and relations between the North and the U.S. should develop simultaneously.<br /> The White House later released a statement saying the U.S. "will see" if North Korea's willingness for talks is a commitment to denuclearize.<br />It added that the U.S. and the world must continue to make clear that Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs are a dead end.<br /> Dubbed the 'Peace Olympics',... there's hope the PyeongChang Winter Games have opened doors for a more peaceful Peninsula,... and could potentially be the catalyst that brings the U.S. and North Korea back to talks.<br />Lee Seung-jae, Arirang News. <br />
