朝鮮擬派團出席亞運會

North Korea has proposed talks on its plan to send a delegation to the Asian Games being held later this year in South Korea. The North's Olympic Committee said the working-level talks could be held next Tuesday in the border village of Panmunjom.

South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, says it is considering the offer and will respond later Thursday.

It is not clear what exactly would be discussed in the proposed talks, though logistical issues for the northern delegation could be one topic.

Pyongyang plans to send 150 athletes and a squad of cheerleaders to the games, which are being held in Incheon in late September and early October.

It would be the first time in nine years that North Korea has sent a cheerleading squad to a South Korean athletic event. North Korea says the delegation is meant to improve bilateral relations that have suffered amid a series of recent missile tests by the North.朝鮮提議和韓國舉行會談，商討派遣代表團出席今年晚些時候在韓國舉行的亞運會。朝鮮奧委會官員說，雙方工作級別會談可能會在下星期二在位於朝韓邊境的板門店舉行。

負責處理對朝鮮事務的韓國統一部官員說，韓國正在考慮朝鮮的建議，並將在星期四晚些時候作出答覆。

目前尚不清楚雙方的會談將觸及哪些議題。不過，雙方可能會討論朝鮮代表團的後勤安排。

平壤計劃派出一個由150名運動員組成的代表團和一個拉拉隊出席亞運會。本屆亞運會將於今年9月底至10月初在韓國仁川舉行。

這將是過去9年來朝鮮首次派遣拉拉隊赴韓國參加體育活動。朝鮮官員說，朝鮮派遣代表團將有助於改善雙邊關係。朝鮮最近的一系列導彈試射使朝韓關係受到負面影響。