In an unprecedented rapprochement, North and South Korea are marching under one flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics, according to The New York Times. The two countries will also be combining their most talented players to field a women’s ice hockey team, the first allied team since 1991.
Pyeongchang, South Korea is home to this year’s Winter Games and South Korean President Moon Jae-in has been very direct and persistent in his hopes to open dialogue with North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un. With the immense tension surrounding North Korea and their recent nuclear and missile tests, this decision provides some form of hope to many.
Earlier on Wednesday, South Korean officials announced, “that the North’s delegation would include at least 550 people, including about 150 to the Paralympic games,” according to The New York Times. The final number of athletes will be announced this Saturday in Switzerland.
While the pool of athletes is large, only two athletes from the North Korea have qualified for the Olympics. Figure skating pair, Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik met the deadline to accept their Olympics invitation, but many North Korean did not. However, the international body is still remaining open to accepting wild-card entries.
The spirit of the Olympics has long been one of uniting countries under the common theme of sportsmanship. And with this year’s host country making a statement of inclusively as bold as this, it’s a forceful reminder to us all that we should do the same.