North and South Korea joined forces for their first basketball friendly in 15 years on Wednesday amid a warming of relations since the Winter Olympics in the South and easing tensions over the North’s nuclear and missile programs.
SEOUL (Reuters) – North and South Korea joined forces for their first basketball friendly in 15 years on Wednesday amid a warming of relations since the Winter Olympics in the South and easing tensions over the North’s nuclear and missile programs.
Women athletes from the traditional foes put political differences aside to form two joint North-South teams, “Peace” and “Prosperity”, in the friendly in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang, the packed crowd shouting and waving balloons in what turned out to be a thriller – Prosperity won 103 to 102.
Two men’s teams were playing later in the day.
“I am proud that sport has stood at the forefront of opening this great path to reconciliation, peace and prosperity between North and South Korea,” North Korean Vice-Minister of Sports Won Kil U told the South Koreans on arrival on Tuesday.
The South Koreans will return on Friday after two more games on Thursday, this time with teams divided by country – but no flags being shown.
North Korean leader and basketball fan Kim Jong Un was not spotted in the crowd on Wednesday but the chairman of the North’s National Sports Guidance Committee, Choe Hwi, who also visited South Korea for the Winter Olympics, was sitting next to the South’s Unification Minister, Cho Myong-gyon, clapping hands.
