South mulls meeting N. Korean request to fuel artists’…

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) – South Korea is reviewing whether to meet North Korea’s request that Seoul provide fuel to the ferry that transported more than a hundred North Korean artists to the South to participate in performances marking the Pyeongchang Olympics.

Seoul’s Unification Ministry spokesman Baik Tae-hyun said on Wednesday that North Korea asked the South to supply fuel for the Mangyongbong-92. He refused to confirm how much fuel the North wants. It’s also unclear how long the ferry will stay.

Providing the fuel would be a difficult decision for Seoul.

North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying art troupe members arrives at Mukho port in Donghae, South Korea Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The art troupe, led by Hyon Song Wol, also the leader of the famous Moranbong girl band hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will perform in Gangneung and Seoul on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11, respectively, before returning home. (Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP)

North Korea’s decision to transport its artists by sea has triggered heated reaction in the South, where conservatives saw the move as a sure-fire sign the North is trying to use the Olympics to weaken U.S.-led sanctions and pressure against the country.

North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying art troupe members arrives at Mukho port in Donghae, South Korea Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The art troupe, led by Hyon Song Wol, also the leader of the famous Moranbong girl band hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will perform in Gangneung and Seoul on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11, respectively, before returning home. (Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP)

North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying art troupe members arrives at Mukho port in Donghae, South Korea Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The art troupe, led by Hyon Song Wol, also the leader of the famous Moranbong girl band hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will perform in Gangneung and Seoul on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11, respectively, before returning home. (Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP)

North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying art troupe members arrives at Mukho port in Donghae, South Korea Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The art troupe, led by Hyon Song Wol, also the leader of the famous Moranbong girl band hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will perform in Gangneung and Seoul on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11, respectively, before returning home. (Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP)

North Korean ship Mangyongbong-92 carrying art troupe members arrives at Mukho port in Donghae, South Korea Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2018. The art troupe, led by Hyon Song Wol, also the leader of the famous Moranbong girl band hand-picked by North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, will perform in Gangneung and Seoul on Feb. 8 and Feb. 11, respectively, before returning home. (Song Kyung-Seok/Pool Photo via AP)

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