South Korea proposed to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Monday to hold meeting this week on forming a unified team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, the South Korean Unification Ministry and the Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) said.

KOC President Kim Jung-kil sent a telephone message to his DPRK counterpart Mun Jae-duk earlier in the day, which said South Korea agreed to hold talks on forming a unified Olympic team, the South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

Kim's remarks came after Pyongyang's request on November 10 to hold talks in Qatar ahead of the 15th Asian Games, set for December 1-15, to discuss fielding a joint delegation at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Asian Games.

The first meeting between the two sides will be held on Thursday in Doha, Yonhap said, quoting an unnamed Unification Ministry official.

South Korea and the DPRK have held joint parade in opening and closing ceremonies of international sports events for seven times since the 2000 Sydney Summer Olympic Games.

The two sides had reached an agreement in Macao last November during the East Asian Games to form a unified team in the Doha Asian Games and the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.