Koreas to march under a single flag at Winter Olympics

North an South Korean athletes marched under the unification flag at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Đoàn Nam Bắc Hàn đã từng diễu hành dưới một lá cờ tại Thế Vận Hội Mùa Đông ở Ý năm 2006. Source: AAP

Athletes from North and South Korea are to march under one flag at the upcoming Winter Olympics, in another sign of improving relations between the nations.


At the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, North and South Korea have decided to march out together under a Korean Peninsula flag.

It's been more than a decade since the two sides last competed jointly, and the first time at an Olympics.

South Korea's Vice Minister for Unification, Chun Hae-sung, made the announcement.

"South and North Korea will march together under one flag in the opening ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and field a combined women's ice hockey team."

"North Korea will send a 230-member cheering squad, and they will cheer events at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, and perform a joint cheering event with South Korea."

North Korea says it will also send a 150-member delegation to the Paralympics.

The proposed North-South women's ice hockey team is generating controversy, though.

Traditionally a stronger sporting force, the coach of the South Korean team says players have expressed fears they may lose their places.

The breakthrough comes after more than a week of talks in the village of Panmunjom (pan-moon-JOM), in the Demilitarised Zone.

The delegations agreed to prioritise dialogue over action, and to keep the lines of communication open by holding future meetings.

The issue of denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula however, was swiftly shut down by the North.

The nuclear arsenal is a sticking point in international relations, too.

At a summit in Vancouver, Canada, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson warned the isolated nation it faces military action if it does not negotiate over its weapons.

Echoing this, Japan's Foreign Minister Taro Kono has cautioned nations to treat with scepticism North Korea's newfound cooperativeness.


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Koreas to march under a single flag at Winter Olympics | SBS Vietnamese