Inter-Korean Ties: ROK and DPRK workers hold soccer match in Seoul
Updated 10:24, 15-Aug-2018
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Players from the north and south of Korea held a friendly soccer match in Seoul. It's the latest in sports diplomacy as the two sides try to find peace. SHANE HAHM has more.  
SHANE HAHM SEOUL "It's being dubbed as Unification Soccer. Teams from the ROK and DPRK holding a historic match at Seoul's World Cup Stadium. But goals and wins and losses aren't important here. These matches are being held under the spirit of reconciliation and peace on the Korean Peninsula. This match has been organized by umbrella labor union groups from both sides. It's the 4th such match of its kind after previous matches were held in 1999, 2007, and 2015. The DPRK delegation arrived in South Korea on Friday a day ahead of the match. It's another instance of cooperation by these two sides in sports. The world got to see teams sharing the spotlight at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February. We've had other sporting exchanges like in basketball, table tennis, and more sporting diplomacy will be on display again at the Asian Games in Indonesia later this month. But it's not just sports. We've seen the two sides hold military-grade discussions, and talks in areas such as rail, road, and other infrastructure, as well as cultural exchanges. But ever since that April inter-Korean summit, we've seen a growing frustration possibly in terms of economic progress. A big roadblock is potentially international sanctions that South Korean authorities are having to dance around. And when you project this against the bigger picture in terms of diplomacy and security, including the denuclearization issue, it'll be interesting to see just how these civilian-level exchanges will contribute to the overall peace here on the Korean Peninsula."