Pence to lead U.S. delegation to Olympics

WASHINGTON — Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence will lead the U.S. delegation to the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.

The White House said Wednesday that Pence will attend the opening ceremonies of the games, scheduled for Feb. 9 in Pyeongchang, South Korea.

Pence will hold meetings with leaders in Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan where he will stress the U.S. commitment to stability in the region. The vice president is also scheduled to stop in Alaska to review intercontinental ballistic missile defense systems.

Jarrod Agen, Pence’s deputy chief of staff, said Pence would travel to the Olympics “to reinforce the strong U.S. presence on the Korean Peninsula and send a clear message of American resolve to the North Korean regime.”

North Korea has agreed to take part in the games in South Korea, and the two countries have agreed to hold more discussions on easing tensions along their border, and to reopen a military hotline.

The U.S. and other world powers want North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program.