No Korean co-hosting of 2018 Winter Games - Rogge

TOKYO, July 14 (Reuters) - North Korea will not be allowed to co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics with South Korea, International Olympic Committee (IOC) chief Jacques Rogge said on Thursday.

“The IOC awards the Games to one city in one country,” he told reporters in Tokyo. “As far as spreading venues between the two countries, that’s something we do not consider.

“We’re not going to change the Olympic Charter because otherwise you complicate the organisation.”

After South Korean resort Pyeongchang won the 2018 bid last week, the main opposition Democratic Party, in particular, floated the idea of co-hosting the Games with the North.

A North Korean delegation in Tokyo on Olympic Council of Asia business had said Pyongyang may consider sharing 2018 events if the current military tensions between the countries eased.

But Rogge quickly slammed the door shut on co-hosting, though he insisted the North and South would be free to enter a joint team.

“In the specific case of North and South Korea, there has been in the past, specifically to the 2000 Games in Sydney, the teams parading together in the opening ceremony,” he said.

“This is something we would and could consider in future Games without any problems. There could be symbolic actions like the joint parade or, why not, a joint team.

“But don’t expect the IOC to spread venues between the two countries and organise Games in North Korea and another in South Korea.”

There was no joint march at the 2008 Beijing Olympics or last year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou.

Relations between North and South Korea deteriorated to their lowest level in years with the killing of 50 South Koreans in two separate attacks last year.

The two Koreas are technically at war since the 1950-53 Korean conflict ended in a ceasefire and not a peace treaty.