 ROK mulls joint Olympic march with DPRK
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-07-02 07:42 The Republic of Korea (ROK) plans to propose to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) that the divided nations march together at the opening and closing ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, an official said yesterday. Athletes from the two Koreas have marched together in the same uniform under the blue and white "unification flag" at several major international sports events including the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, and have used the traditional song Arirang in place of individual anthems in a show of their reconciliation efforts. But the prospect of a joint march at next month's Beijing Games has dimmed, as reconciliation talks have been suspended since ROK's conservative new president Lee Myung-bak assumed office in February with a harder-line stance on Pyongyang. "We think it would be good if the two sides march together," one ROK government official said. "We plan to contact the North's Olympic committee ... to convey our intention." In June, the head of the International Olympic Committee, Jacques Rogge, sent letters to the two Koreas asking them to carry on the eight-year practice, the official said. Even if ROK makes such an offer, it is unclear if Pyongyang would accept it. DPRK has been harshly critical of Seoul's new administration, threatening to attack the South and calling President Lee a "traitor". Paek Hyun-sup, an official with the ROK's Olympic Committee, said his organization is trying to set up the joint march in cooperation with the IOC and China's Olympic organizing committee, although it has not talked directly to the DPRK due to the political tension. "We're paying much attention to making a joint march happen," Paek said. Past agreements on joint marches have not always been reached smoothly. Ahead of the December 2006 Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, the DPRK's Olympic committee sent a joint-march proposal to the South first, but Seoul did not accept it immediately in anger over Pyongyang's first-ever nuclear test that October. ROK agreed to march together about a week before the event. "If the two sides have the intention, an agreement can be reached even at the venue," Paek said. Ahead of the 2004 Olympics in Athens, a joint-march agreement was reached more than a month before the opening. The two had earlier discussed forming a unified team to compete at the upcoming games, but the negotiations fell apart due to differences on how to select athletes. Agencies (China Daily 07/02/2008 page12) |
