Two Nations Will Share One Flag for 17 Days

The tension between North Korea and South Korea has been on the rise for the past few months with North Korea launching nuclear missiles and conducting field tests. The nuclear threat that North Korea poses on South Korea and the rest of the world was always the factor that hampered the two nations from forming an amiable relationship. Amidst the rising tension and threat, the two countries reached a monumental decision in the recently held conference.

On January 17th, 2018, the two countries announced that they will form one united team for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and that the athletes will be marching together in the opening ceremony. According to the announcement, the athletes will be entering the opening ceremony with a Korean Unification Flag, which has the whole Korean Peninsula and its outlying islands drawn on it. This surprising decision not only greatly impacts sports but also shows a cooperative step taken by the two countries in order to improve their diplomatic relationship.

Recently, the two countries proposed to form a joint women’s hockey team. However, the South Koreans are showing concerns and mixed feelings rather than jubilance towards this somewhat sudden decision. The South Koreans are disgruntled by the fact that the South Korean hockey players who trained ardently will have to be cut from the team to make room for the North Korean hockey players. In addition, Sarah Murray, the head coach of the South Korean women’s hockey team, is concerned about the team’s chemistry because the South Korean hockey players have been training together for such a long time. Furthermore, she believes that every player on the roster earned their spot and it’s simply unfair to remove them to achieve political objectives.

The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will begin on February 9th and end on February 25th. During the 17 days, the athletes who trained tenaciously for the past four years will compete passionately for one goal — the gold medal.

For further information, please visit The Globe and Mail and Daily Mail.