South Koreans warmly welcome North Korea hockey team

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL

South Korean fans and North Korean ice hockey players provided a rare glimpse of inter-Korean unity Sunday, when they were brought together ahead of next year’s Winter Olympics in the South.

The opening match of an international women’s tournament in South Korea’s Gangwon Province saw North Korea squander a lead to lose 2-1 to Australia.

But nearly 300 South Korean supporters waving unification flags cheered on the North.

The defeated team then bowed to the fans, who were also members of a civic group pushing for an end to the division of a nation torn apart at the end of World War II.

The North is to enjoy their support even when the Koreas meet each other on Thursday evening – coincidentally a day before a South Korean women’s team plays the first ever inter-Korean football match in Pyongyang.

Such encounters are a break from tensions that have dominated bilateral ties since the 1950-53 Korean War, with Seoul recently warning of a looming sixth North Korean nuclear test.

Despite boycotting the 1988 Seoul Olympics, there are positive signs the North plans to participate in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Games in Gangwon.

Local Governor Choi Moon-soon revealed Sunday that a North Korean Sports Ministry official had informed him the reclusive state would be involved.

“When I asked him if North Korea will send athletes to PyeongChang, he said they will be here,” Choi was quoted as saying by Yonhap News Agency.