Athletes of both South Korea and North Korea will attend the official welcoming ceremony at the Asian Games athletes’ village on the same day, the event’s organizers said Sunday.

Organizers of the 17th Asian Games in Incheon, west of Seoul, said the flag-raising ceremony at the athletes’ quarters will be held on Thursday. The Asiad will officially start on Friday.

According to the host’s officials, South Korea will be welcomed in at 4 p.m. North Korea will be joined by China in the ceremony at 10 a.m. the same day.

They said Team Japan will be the first delegation to attend the flag-raising ceremony at 10 a.m. on Tuesday.

The athletes’ village is located in Guwol-dong in the central part of the city. The village features 2,220 units in 22 new apartment buildings in three blocks. About 14,500 athletes and officials from 45 countries are expected in Incheon for the 16-day competition.

South Korea will field its largest-ever Asian Games delegation with 831 athletes competing in all 36 sports, along with 237 officials. North Korea will have 150 athletes and 123 officials in 14 sports.

South Korea aims to win at least 90 gold medals to finish second in the medal standings for the fifth consecutive Asiad.

North Korea is eyeing its first top-10 finish since 2002. (Yonhap)