SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Athletes and cheerleaders of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) returned home Monday as the 23rd Winter Olympic Games ended the previous day, according to Seoul's unification ministry.

The DPRK sports delegation, including 45 athletes and 229 cheerleaders, crossed the heavily guarded inter-Korean border via land route to their home country at about 12:30 p.m. local time (0330 GMT).

The Winter Olympics, which kicked off on Feb. 9 in South Korea's east county of PyeongChang, ended Sunday night with a closing ceremony.

The two Koreas fielded a joint women's ice hockey team, the first inter-Korean Olympic team, and marched together during the opening ceremony.

Both the opening and closing ceremonies were attended by high-ranking DPRK delegations. Kim Yong Chol, a vice chairman of the Central Committee of the ruling Workers' Party of Korea, came here Sunday leading a high-level DPRK delegation for the closing ceremony.

Kim and the DPRK delegation were scheduled to stay in South Korea till Tuesday.