Thomas Bach is visiting Pyeongchang ahead of the 2018 Winter Olympics ©Getty Images

International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Thomas Bach has arrived in South Korea to assess preparations for the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang.

The German arrived in the country today with six other IOC officials, Yonhap reported.

He is due to visit under-construction Olympic venues in both the Pyeongchang and Gangneung clusters tomorrow, while his visit also coincides with meetings between the Sports Ministers of Japan, China and South Korea.

Talks began today between Japan's Hirokazu Matsuno, China's Liu Peng and South Korea's Cho Yoon-sun, with the three Asian countries hosting the next three Olympic Games.

These are Pyeongchang 2018, Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

The behind-closed-doors meetings, which will last for two days, are aimed at "laying the foundation for sports cooperation and successful Olympic Games in north-east Asia", according to Yonhap.

A "joint declaration" is expected to be signed at the end of the discussions while Bach is due to attend a dinner reception today, and give a congratulatory speech.

Pyeongchang 2018 President Lee Hee-beom launches celebratory coins with Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna ©Pyeongchang 2018
Pyeongchang 2018 President Lee Hee-beom launches celebratory coins with Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna ©Pyeongchang 2018

Organisers of the three Asian Olympics also held discussions at last month's Rio 2016 Games and further talks are expected.

The meetings come ahead of the IOC's Coordination Commission making its latest visit to Pyeongchang between October 5 and 7.

Sweden's IOC member Gunilla Lindberg, the secretary general of the Association of National Olympic Committees, chairs the Commission.

Pyeongchang organisers have today launched a set of coins aimed at celebrating the next edition of the Winter Olympics.

The coins will be issued in two runs, with the first batch of 290,500 to be produced by November 18.

They are designed with images which represent Pyeongchang 2018 and the seven Olympic winter sports.

Lee Hee-beom, the Pyeongchang 2018 President, said: "Pyeongchang will be the second city to host the Olympic Games in Korea after Seoul 1988.

"Therefore, we hope to boost excitement for the upcoming Olympic Winter Games with the commemorative coins and other events."

The coins were launched at a special event where Lee was joined by South Korea's Olympic figure skating champion Kim Yuna, an ambassador of the bid, and other dignitaries.