The South Korean governing body of skating said Tuesday it has reached a partnership agreement with the top Dutch skating organization, as the two countries hope to exchange expertise in the run-up to the 2018 Winter Olympics.

The Korea Skating Union said it signed a memorandum of understanding for a strategic partnership on Monday with the Royal Dutch Skating Association at Cheong Wa Dae, the South Korean presidential office.

Kim Jae-youl, the KSU president, and his KNSB counterpart, Paul Sanders, attended the ceremony. South Korean President Park Geun-hye and Dutch King Willem-Alexander were also on hand, the KSU added.

At the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi, the Netherlands dominated the speed skating competition, grabbing 23 medals, including eight gold, out of 36 medals available. South Korea, four years after winning three gold medals, was held to just one gold in Russia.

In short track, South Korea won two gold and five medals overall, compared to just one bronze for the Netherlands.

Kim called the signing a “win-win” situation for the two sides as they set their sights on the 2018 Winter Games in PyeongChang, a South Korean alpine town lying 180 kilometers east of Seoul.

“This is a good opportunity for the two countries to share their strengths,” he said. “We will spare no efforts to try to help our athletes put up the best results in PyeongChang.”

Sanders also called the agreement “a significant partnership” for both countries, because South Korea hopes to get better in speed skating and the Netherlands wants to improve its standing in short track. (Yonhap)