North Korea has been taking part here at the Winter Olympic Games, which begun on February 9. 

The two Koreas, still technically at war, marched together under the unification flag at the Opening Ceremony and, for the first time in Olympic history, are competing together as part of a unified Korean women's ice hockey team.

Bach claimed during the recent IOC Session here that Pyeongchang 2018 has "brought real hope" to everybody in the Korean Peninsula by encouraging better relations between North and South.

North Korean citizens are currently banned from entering Japan.

Relations between the two countries are currently severely strained.

This is caused by North Korea's nuclear programme under Kim Jong-un and also lingering tension over abductions of Japanese citizens by agents of the North Korean Government which occurred during a period of six years from 1977 to 1983.

According to a 2014 BBC World Service poll, 91 per cent of Japanese people view North Korea's influence negatively.

Bach has now told Japan's Kyodo News that the IOC "will take the same approach in every respect with regard to Tokyo 2020 as we took with Pyeongchang 2018".

"We have always applied strict political neutrality, and then the same we will do for Tokyo 2020," he said. 

"We hope that we can continue to assist athletes from DPRK (the Democratic People's Republic of Korea) to prepare and then qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo."

Bach also reiterated that he is intending to visit North Korea at the invitation of the nation's National Olympic Committee. 

"Since [the invitation] had been welcomed by all the delegations, we are now looking for a mutually convenient date," he added.

"Then we will see whether we find one and when we find it.

"It will not be during the [Pyeongchang 2018] Games.

"This I can say."

Regarding the potential for a similar joint march or unified Korean team at Tokyo 2020, Bach told Kyodo News it is "way too early" to comment.

"Let's finish Pyeongchang 2018 and then see how the dialogue is going," he said. 

Bach revealed earlier this week that a final deal for North and South Korea to march together at the Opening Ceremony of Pyeongchang 2018 was only reached four hours before it took place.

He also confirmed that four years of negotiations had taken place since the idea of a joint march was first raised in 2014.

insidethegames had exclusively revealed on the eve of the Opening Ceremony that North Korea were on the verge of boycotting the Games before being persuaded otherwise after meetings with the IOC and other stakeholders.

It followed comments by United States Vice-President Mike Pence, who said in Tokyo on his arrival in Asia to attend the Opening Ceremony that they planned to introduce the "toughest and most aggressive" sanctions against North Korea.

South Korea has agreed to pay the $2.64 million (£1.88 million/€2.13 million) bill for North Korea’s participation at Pyeongchang 2018 from its Ministry of Unification budget. 

The bill is said to include entry fees, accommodation and transport for musicians, cheerleaders and media as well as taekwondo performers.

A delegation of 400 North Koreans is present at Pyeongchang 2018.