Inter-Korean team becomes first to strike gold
JAKARTA, Indonesia — There was no dividing them. The folk song Arirang played and the “unification” flag was raised to celebrate the first gold medal by an inter-Korean team at a major multisport event.
The crew comprising athletes from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Republic of Korea won the women’s 500-meter dragon boat final on Sunday at the Asian Games co-host city of Palembang, a day after the paddlers delivered the historic first medal for an inter-Korean team by taking bronze in the 200-meter dragon boat competition.
The gold was awarded to Korea, the name for the joint teams that are entered in rowing, canoeing and women’s basketball, rather than being added to the tally of either the DPRK or ROK.
The celebrations started as soon as the dragon-headed boat with its 10 paddlers, its drummer and its sweep crossed the line.
People from the DPRK and ROK hugged on the boat and on the banks along the course.
ROK news agency Yonhap quoted Kim Kwang Chol, a DPRK coach, as saying he “felt the strength of a unified nation when we came together, dedicated our minds to a single purpose, and paddled the boat forward”.
ROK President Moon Jae-in posted praise on social media saying he was “very proud” of the team and that “young athletes who were pouring sweat training at Han River (ROK) and young athletes who were dreaming about a gold medal while training at Taedong River (DPRK) came together to give joy to the entire Korean Peninsula.”
The neighbors, still technically at war after their 1950-53 conflict ended in an armistice, have fielded 60 athletes in combined teams in the three sports along with larger contingents for their respective national squads.
Athletes from both countries paraded into the opening ceremony together last weekend behind the “unification” flag, which features the outline of the peninsula in blue on a white background. It took a week to reap the medals.
There could be more gold ahead, too, with the combined women’s basketball team reaching the semifinals.
The DPRK and ROK have entered joint teams in previous international events, starting with the 1991 table tennis world championships, and more recently at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in the ROK.
The women’s Olympic ice hockey team gained huge support despite losing all of its games, and inspired more cooperation.