DPRK, ROK to march under unification flag

GENEVA - Delegations from the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea will march together under the name "Korea" and the Korean Unification Flag at the opening ceremony of next month's Pyeongchang Olympic Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee announced on Saturday.

The announcement came from IOC President Thomas Bach after a four-party meeting at the IOC headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland, on Saturday that was attended by delegations from the National Olympic Committees of the countries, the organization committee of the Games, and members of the IOC.

All parties signed the Olympic Korean Peninsula Declaration after the meeting, which finalizes the necessary details of the DPRK's participation in the event.

Seoul welcomed the decision in a statement from the presidential Blue House on Sunday, saying it would aid peace and the easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The IOC will grant accreditation to 22 athletes from the DPRK who will compete in three sports and five disciplines, including figure skating, short-track speedskating, cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, and in a united women's hockey team. Accreditation will also be given to 24 officials and 21 media representatives from the DPRK.

The women's ice hockey team, an Olympic first for the countries, will be created by adding 12 players and one official from the DPRK to the existing ROK Olympic squad of 23 players, but it's up to the head coach from the ROK to select the players for each match.

Long journey

In his speech after Saturday's meeting, IOC President Bach credited the day as a "milestone on a long journey", as the IOC has been addressing the special situation of having the Olympic Winter Games 2018 on the Korean Peninsula. Meanwhile, DPRK delegates arrived in the ROK on Sunday to inspect venues and prepare cultural performances for the Games, in the first visit by Pyongyang officials to the country for four years.

Television footage showed a group of seven officials led by Hyon Song-wol, the leader of the DPRK's popular Moranbong band, crossing the heavily-fortified border on a bus before arriving at Seoul train station about an hour later.

Officials surrounded by hundreds of Seoul police officers then boarded a train to the eastern city of Gangneung, where one of the concerts is due to be held.

Hyon, a star singer and also the leader of the 140-member Samjiyon Orchestra chosen to visit the ROK, was seen leaving the train station in Gangneung without talking to throngs of journalists.

Xinhua - Reuters - Afp

(China Daily 01/22/2018 page12)