NKorea Plans to Participate in Ice Hockey Event in South

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean Olympic organizers say the North Korean women's ice hockey team has registered to compete in an international event in the South next month.

The organizing committee for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics said Friday it will work with the government to prepare for the potential North Korean participation in the group rounds for the Ice Hockey Women's World Championship.

Seoul's Unification Ministry says North Korean athletes haven't competed in South Korea since the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon. The ministry says it has yet to receive a request from the North for approval of its athletes to compete in the South.

The relations between the rival Koreas have significantly worsened over the past year after a series of nuclear tests and rocket launches by North Korea.