Korean Peninsula Sports Diplomacy: Review: South Korea & DPRK sports communication

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This latest round of talks between South Korea and the DPRK are successful on the sports front as the DPRK will send a delegation to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. But this will not be the first time they have attended events organzied by the South as the DPRK have also done so on four other occasions since the turn of the century.

On August 3rd, 2002, the two countries held a meeting at Mount Kumgang to discuss about the DPRK attending the Busan Asian Games in South Korea that year.

Finally on September 29th, 2002, at the opening ceremony of the Busan Asian Games, the two nations athletes marched together to lead their countries' delegation into the arena.

In August, 2003, the DPRK attended the 2003 Universiade Games and the countries' teams once again marched together at the ceremonies.

In September, 2005, the DPRK sent about 100 people to cheer their team at the Incheon Asian Athletics championships.

In July 2014, DPRK and South Korean officials held a meeting to discuss DPRK athletes competing at the Incheon Asian Games. The DPRK delegation arrived on September 11th, but without the cheer squad this time, and the two nations did not march together in the opening ceremony.

On October 4th, 2014, the Incheon Asian Games held a closing ceremony and the DPRK sent high level officials to the event.

June 2017 saw the World Taekwondo Championships held in Muju. During the opening ceremony, South Korean President, Moon Jae-in made a proposal for the nations to form a unified team at the 2018 Pyeonghcang Winter Olympics that begin February 9th.