SEOUL, South Korea — To give, or not to give?

That question has been tormenting South Korean officials, who are struggling to be good Olympic hosts for the North Korean delegation without violating the international sanctions punishing the North for its nuclear weapons program.

The issue arose on Wednesday, after a North Korean ferry took musicians, dancers and singers to the South for performances during the Winter Olympics, which open on Friday in the town of Pyeongchang.

The North announced only this week that it would be sending the group by ferry rather than, as expected, over land, and the South had already made one accommodating move, by granting an exception to its ban on North Korean ships in its waters.

Then North Korean officials said the ship, called the Mangyongbong-92, was low on fuel, and asked the South to refuel it.