(Reuters) - Former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is confident that next year's Winter Olympics in his native South Korea will be safe and successful, despite tensions surrounding North Korea's nuclear weapons programme. "Even though there is heightened tension on the Korean peninsula, I'm sure that this Pyeongchang Winter Olympic Games will be a great success, with a great deal of stability," Ban told the Olympic Channel in an interview. "I'm quite confident that we will have a very safe, very peaceful and harmonious Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang next year." Ban was elected head of the International Olympic Committee's ethics commission on Thursday as the Olympic body strives to improve its image amid a string of corruption cases. The Winter Olympics will run from Feb. 9-25 next year.

Source: The Star September 15, 2017 15:11 UTC