North Korea will send 22 athletes to the Winter Olympics in the South next month, the International Olympic Committee confirmed on Thursday. North and South Korean athletes will also march together at the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang.

The North Korean athletes will compete in three sports in Pyeongchang, the IOC announced, adding that it had approved a plan for North and South to field a unified women’s hockey team.

“Today marks a milestone in a long journey,” IOC chief Thomas Bach told reporters following a meeting in Lausanne with sport and government officials from North and South Korea.

North Korea is also sending a delegation to Seoul on Sunday to prepare cultural performances during the Winter Olympics.

With inputs from AFP