Rival Koreas will march under a unified flag at Olympic games

North-South merger follows years of conflict between rival factions

Korean fans waving "unification flags" as they cheer for North Korean players during the IIHF women's world ice hockey championships division II group A competition match between South Korea and North Korea in Gangneung in April 2017. The two Koreas agreed on January 17, 2018 to march together under a single flag at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony and field a united women's ice hockey team for the Games in a further sign of easing tensions on the peninsula. North Korea also said it would send a 550-member delegation to the Winter Olympics and Paralympics in the South, Seoul said, as the two sides met to discuss athlete numbers in the latest in a flurry of cross-border talks. / AFP PHOTO / JUNG Yeon-Je

The two Koreas agreed on Wednesday to march together under a single flag at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

The rival factions will field a united women's ice hockey team for the Games in a further sign of easing tensions on the peninsula.

The agreements still require approval from the International Olympic Committee. But they are the most prominent steps toward rapprochement achieved by the Koreas since they recently began exploring cooperation.

The decision follows a year of heightened tension over the North's nuclear weapons program.

During their third day of talks at the border, senior officials reached a series of agreements including fielding a joint women's ice hockey team and marching together under a "unification flag" during the opening ceremony. The flag will depict their peninsula, Seoul's Unification Ministry said.

They will also conduct some activities in North Korea, including a joint cultural event at Mount Geumgang and training for skiers from both countries at the Masikryong ski resort on the east coast.

_______________

Read more:

North Korea summit to stress importance of sanctions

South Korea and North Korea to hold working-level talks on January 15