President Moon Jae-in on Jan. 21 approves the government's plan to pursue a joint bid with North Korea to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics in a Cabinet meeting at Government Complex-Sejong. (Yonhap News)

By Song Baleun and Kim Minji

The government will officially pursue a bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics with North Korea.

President Moon Jae-in on Jan. 21 approved a government plan to pursue the joint bid in a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Government Complex-Sejong.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism said, "The bid to jointly attract and host of the 2032 Olympics is a key government project for contributing to the settlement of peace on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia through sports," adding, "Through the approval of the plan, we will finalize the basic directions and plans and take related measures as soon as possible to prepare for the co-hosting bid without a hitch."

The co-hosting bid was included in the Pyeongyang Joint Declaration of September 2018 signed by President Moon and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during their bilateral summit on Sept. 19, 2018, in the North's capital. The intent to submit the bid was also conveyed on Feb. 15 last year to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in Lausanne, Switzerland, by officials from both Koreas.

brightsong@korea.kr