'No interaction' between Ivanka Trump and North Korean delegation at Olympic ceremony: White House official

Ivanka Trump had 'no interaction' with the N. Korean delegation at the Olympics.

The First Daughter and Gen. Vincent Brooks, commander of U.S. forces in Korea, watched the closing ceremonies from the VIP box of South Korean President Moon Jae-in. Ivanka Trump sat next to South Korea’s First Lady Kim Jung-sook, while seated behind her was Gen. Kim Yong-chol, North Korea's former military chief of intelligence.

During the closing ceremony, Ivanka Trump and the U.S. delegation congratulated Moon and the First Lady "on an incredible Olympic Games and applauded throughout the ceremonies, including for the U.S. and South Korean Athletes," the administration official said in a statement.

"There was no interaction with the North Korean delegation," the official said.

The White House official added the "U.S. Presidential delegation's attendance at the closing ceremonies was the culmination of a successful trip where we celebrated the Olympic Games, U.S. athletes and our strong alliance with South Korea."

The stalemate between Ivanka Trump and the North Korean delegates played out before a global audience watching the closing ceremonies just three days after President Trump announced the "largest ever" sanctions against North Korea aimed at disrupting North Korean shipping and trading companies.

Just before the Olympic closing ceremonies, Moon's office issued a statement confirming the South Korean president met with Gen. Kim, who expressed North Korea's "willingness" to open talks with the United States.

"President Moon pointed out the urgency to hold [a] dialogue between North Korea and the U.S. in order to ... resolve the issues on the Korean Peninsula and to improve inter-Korean relations," according to the South Korean statement.

Meanwhile, the closing ceremonies emphasized the "human spirit of perseverance" and capped the 23rd Olympic Winter Games with a combination of music, dance, art and a spectacular fireworks display against the backdrop of Pyeongchang's snow-capped mountains.

Athletes who participated in the Games marched into the Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium waved the flags of their countries. South and North Korean athletes marched together, as they did in the opening ceremony.

"The Olympic Winter Games at Pyeongchang has come to an end, but the time of peace will continue," Korean President Moon said in his closing remarks.