NORTH KOREA has confirmed it will take part in the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, completing a full line-up for the first time, the International Olympic Committee announced yesterday.

Communist North Korea was the last to accept the invitation sent to all 197 national Olympic committees recognised by the IOC for the Atlanta Games which begin on July 19th.

"This is the first time we will have all national committees participating in the Games, which is extraordinary," said Fekrou Kidane, head of the IOC public information office in Lausanne. "Up until now there were always one or two countries missing."

Myong Chol Pak, president of the North Korean Olympic Committee, informed lOC president Juan Antonio Samaranch by letter of the decision. The letter was in response to a request by Samaranch seeking a reply from Pyongyang as communications problems were feared.

This was the case with Afghanistan's committee, whose letter took two months to reach the IOC. War-torn Afghanistan was the only country whose athletes were not present for the 1992 Games in Barcelona.

While there are no more political boycotts, financial problems also are no longer a hindrance to attendance because the IOC now pays for six athletes and two officials from each country to participate. Kidane said.