Moon, détente with the North for the Winter Olympics: one team for the two Koreas

North Korea should first qualify for PyeongChang 2018. The North did not participate in the Sochi Winter Olympics in Russia in 2014. In the past the two Koreans have already marched under the unified flag at various opening ceremonies of the Asian Games and the Under 20 World Cup in 1991


Seoul (AsiaNews / Agencies) - South Korea hopes North Korea will accept President Moon Jae-in's proposal to create one team of two Koreas for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics to be held in 2018.

Moon made proposal during the opening ceremony for Taekwondo World Cups that took place on Saturday, June 24th. "If North accepts the president's offer, there would be a great deal to do. We expect the North's response to Moon to be positive," said Lee Duk-haeng, Seoul's Unification Ministry spokesman. The two Koreas have already competed together in the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships and the FIFA World Under 20 Championship in 1991.

Athletes from both Koreas have also marched several times under the unified Korean flag at the opening ceremonies of the Asian and Olympic Games, including the Summer Olympics in 2000 and the 2002 Asian Games of Busan.

However, in order to achieve Moon's dream for PyeongChang, North Korea must first qualify to compete in the Winter Olympics to be held in February 2018. North Korea did not participate in the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia.