North Korea

French to Skip 2018 Olympics If N. Korea Tensions Continue

The games are being held in February just 50 miles from the heavily armed Korean demilitarized zone

France has become the first nation participating in the 2018 Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, to express doubts about going, given the ongoing tensions with North Korea, Reuters reported.

If the nuclear crisis deepens and "our security cannot be assured, the French Olympics team will stay at home," French Sports Minister Laura Flessel said Thursday on French radio. But "we're not there yet," she added.

The games are being held in February just 50 miles from the heavily armed demilitarized zone between North and South Korea, currently trading threats — also involving the United States — after the north's recent nuclear and missile tests.

"Safety and security is one of the most important aspects of Games preparations," a spokesman for the organizing committee told Reuters in a statement.

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