North Korea and South Korea may march together at the Olympics.
Athletes from North and South Korea may march together at the opening ceremony of the upcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea.
This is a proposal that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will consider next week, Reuters reported on January 11, citing a source.
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| The North Korean delegation at the 14th Asian Games held in Busan, South Korea in 2002 - Photo: Reuters |
This year's Olympic Games in South Korea are seen as a time for optimistic signs of reconciliation between the two Koreas.
This is a very positive start to the new year for Olympic activities worldwide as well as for long-term peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula. The OCA looks forward to seeing the flags of the two National Olympic Committees fly together at Pyeongchang 2018."
Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah - President of the Asian Olympic Council
To this day, the 38th parallel still divides North and South Korea; even though the two countries only have a ceasefire agreement after the 1950-1953 war, it is not a peace treaty.
Recently, high-level delegations from both sides held their first official meeting after a two-year hiatus. Discussions on cooperation at the Olympics were included as part of the bilateral agenda.
The Reuters source also said that, in addition to the idea of a joint parade for the athletes, the IOC would also consider a proposal to merge the North Korean and South Korean hockey teams.
This agreement was reached at the aforementioned meeting of officials from both Koreas, and the IOC is expected to discuss this issue, as well as North Korea's participation in the Olympics, at its meeting on January 20.
"These two things are being discussed. All the details will be discussed next week," a source told Reuters regarding the march and the hockey team merger.
Previously, South Korea proposed that South Korean and North Korean athletes march together at the Olympic opening ceremony, and Seoul asserted that Pyongyang had responded quite positively.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, South Korea and North Korea marched together, but did not repeat this at the 2007 Asian Winter Games held in China.
