The organizing committee of the Incheon Asian Games said Saturday that it will provide administrative and other support to North Korean delegates who will visit South Korea later this month for the draw that will group teams for competition at the at the quadrennial continental event.

The committee said that if the North sends a list of its National Olympic Committee officials to be sent to Incheon for the draw, it will extend all possible administrative help, including issuing visitors’ cards to them.

These cards will allow North Koreans delegates to cast ballots for the draw that will group teams for competition at the Asiad scheduled for Sept. 19-Oct. 4.

Pyongyang has recently informed the Olympic Council of Asia that it will send officials to the draw.

North Korean officials can also take part in symposiums and other international sports gatherings to be held in Incheon during the Aug. 20-22 draw.

Insiders at the organizing committee speculated that the North’s NOC delegation will be relatively small and arrive by plane through Beijing or Shenyang, China.

The North Korean delegation‘s trip can be a strong indication that the country will take part in the Games. North Korean delegates walked out of a meeting with South Korea last month after disputes over who should foot the bill for its athletes and cheerleaders during their stay in the South.

During the meeting, the North said it wlll send 350 athletes and the same number of cheerleaders to Incheon, although the fate of the latter has yet to be decided. (Yonhap)