July 31st 2024.
The camaraderie between North and South Korea has been a topic of conversation worldwide after photos surfaced of their table tennis players taking a selfie together on the medal podium. Many have praised this as a rare display of unity between the two countries.
It was during the mixed doubles match where South Korea claimed the bronze medal and North Korea took silver that Lim Jong-hoon of South Korea pulled out his phone for a celebratory photo. This isn't the first time the two Koreas have joined forces in international sporting events. In fact, at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, the two countries marched together in the opening ceremony and competed as one team in the women's ice hockey competition.
As the Olympic Games in Paris continue, tensions between North and South Korea have resurfaced. Plans for a unified team at the Tokyo 2020 Games fell through, leading to a freeze in their sporting relations once again. Recently, tensions have escalated due to North Korea sending thousands of balloons filled with trash over to South Korea, some of which have even reached the presidential compound in Seoul.
It's important to note that despite their show of unity in the sporting world, North and South Korea are still technically at war. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, but a peace treaty has never been signed.
The Olympics have already seen some drama involving the two nations, namely an embarrassing mix-up during the opening ceremony. The organisers have since apologized for the mistake, as the 143 South Korean athletes were mistakenly introduced as being from North Korea. This mishap occurred during the boat ride down the River Seine, with both the French and English announcements incorrectly identifying them as being from the "People's Democratic Republic of Korea", which is the official name for North Korea.
It's worth noting that the official name of South Korea is the Republic of Korea. As the Paris 2024 Olympics continue, we can only hope for more moments of unity and harmony between North and South Korea, both on and off the playing field.
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