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With only weeks away from the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics, a major breakthrough was forged between North and South Korea. The two countries with icy relations decided to put their differences aside and march together under a single unified Korean flag at the 2018 Winter Olympics according to a joint statement released by Seoul’s Ministry of Unification. During Wednesday’s meeting at the border village of Panmunjom, the Koreas also reached an agreement to form a unified women’s hockey team to compete at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics. The proposal will need to be approved by the International Olympic Committee, which is said to make a decision this weekend.
South and North Korean athletes have previously marched together at several Olympics, including the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, and 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. The last time South Korea hosted the Olympics was in 1988 and North Korean did not send any athletes to those games in Seoul. North Korea will also send a delegation to the Paralympic Games which follows the Winter Olympics.
North Korea will send a 550-member delegation, including 230 cheerleaders, 140 artists, and 30 Taekwondo players for a demonstration. The statement said the North Korean delegation is scheduled to begin arriving in South Korea on Jan. 25. The 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea will begin on Feb. 9, 2018, and run until Feb. 25, 2018.