North Korea at 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games

The paper analyzes the participation of the North Korean delegation at the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympic Games in terms of sports diplomacy. Based on the actions taken by the DPRK delegation and what western media had to say about it, the author makes an attempt to conclude what image the DPRK was willing to create for the public. The Winter Olympic Games held in 2018 in South Korean Pyeongchang are noteworthy for the participation of the DPRK national team, which does not show up at the Winter Games on a regular basis. The DPRK sent delegates to the Pyeongchang Olympic Games able to fulfill the tasks of soft power, creating the image of North Korea as it itself wants to look for the world in this era. The year of 2018 started with an unexpected statement by Kim Jong-un in his New Year's speech, when the North Korean leader expressed the idea of sending DPRK athletes to the Pyeongchang Games. The countries returned to the negotiating table, and this time sports and the Olympic Games contributed to the rapprochement of relations. The relations warming between the North and the South in 2018 got called "Olympic warming." The countries met each other and as soon as possible discussed all the details of the athletes' participation in the Games and a North Korean delegation visit to the South.