South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae on Thursday welcomed Pope Francis' remarks praising the recent resumption of inter-Korean dialogue to discuss North Korea's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, saying the country will continue to make peace.

"We deeply appreciate it. The remarks that a unified team of South and North Korea represents hope for peace will bring great joy to the unified team, as if they will become warriors of peace," Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom said in a released statement.

The statement came after the pontiff praised the recent rapprochement between the two Koreas as a gesture for a "better world," according to earlier reports.

"This gives us hope of a better world where conflicts are resolved peacefully through dialogue and mutual respect, as sport also teaches us," he was quoted as saying.

South Korea and North Korea resumed their dialogue last month after a two-year hiatus to discuss the North's participation in the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, set to begin Friday.

The communist North has agreed to send 22 athletes, along with a 23-member government delegation, to PyeongChang.

"The opening ceremony of the Olympics is now only one day away. The Republic of Korea, the world's only divided nation, will build peace in PyeongChang, which is only a short distance from the inter-Korean border," the Cheong Wa Dae spokesman said.

The PyeongChang Olympics Games will end Feb. 25.(Yonhap)