N.Korea 'likely to participate' Olympics

North Korea is "likely to participate" in next month's Winter Olympic Games, the country's International Olympic Committee (IOC) representative says.

North Korean IOC member Chang Ung made the comment to reporters at Beijing's international airport, Kyodo reports.

North and South Korea on Friday agreed to hold high-level talks next week, with North Korea's potential participation in the Olympics in Pyeongchang to be high on the agenda.

Both sides extended olive branches earlier this week.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered to send a delegation to the Games in South Korea in his New Year's address, and said he sincerely hoped the event would be "a success."

In response, Seoul suggested a high-level meeting, involving ministers or deputy ministers, and said it wished to resolve the crisis over North Korea's nuclear programme with dialogue and diplomacy.