A poetry festival is taking place to help promote the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang ©Pyeongchang 2018

Leading poets from South Korea, China and Japan are due to join together at a festival next month in a cultural activity designed to promote the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics here.

The Society of Korea Poets have announced that a festival will take place here at the Alpensia Resort - the central mountain hub for next year's Games - between September 14 and 17.

Eighteen poets are due to participate.

This includes three from China and four from Japan as well as those from the host nation.

It was feature a variety of poetry recital and music performances under the theme of "Peace, Environment and Healing".

Society of Korean Poets chief Cho Dong-ho said told the Yonhap news agency that the "sharing of peace and friendship among the poets of the three neighboring countries is consistent with the spirits of the Olympics".

Many cultural activities are taking place to promote Pyeongchang 2018 ©Pyeongchang 2018
Many cultural activities are taking place to promote Pyeongchang 2018 ©Pyeongchang 2018

It comes at a time of heightened tensions in the region connected to North Korea's missile programmes and various territorial island disputes.

There was much rhetoric earlier this year about collaboration between the three countries due to the fact all three are hosting upcoming Olympic Games.

Pyeongchang 2018 will be followed by Tokyo 2020 and Beijing 2022.

This came with the joint aims of "promoting the Olympic Movement" and ensuring "efficient preparations" for their respective events.

Relatively little progress seems to have taken place towards doing this in recent weeks, however.