[PyeongChang 2018] Two Koreas carry own flags, but march together at closing ceremony

By Yonhap

Published : Feb. 25, 2018 - 21:55

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At the closing ceremony of the PyeongChang Winter Olympics on Sunday, South and North Korean athletes entered separately carrying their own national flags but later joined to march together in a show of rapprochement driven by the sports event.

The South Korean flag was carried by speed skater Lee Seung-hoon, who won the gold medal in the inaugural men's mass start on Saturday, while Kim Ju-sik, who competed in pairs figure skating with Ryom Tae-ok at the Olympics, was the North Korean flagbearer.

(Yonhap)

The event started at 8 p.m. at the Olympic Stadium in the town, some 180 kilometers east of Seoul.

The two Koreas had a joint march at the opening ceremony on Feb. 9, with South Korean bobsledder Won Yun-jong and North Korean hockey player Hwang Chung-gum carrying the Korean Unification flag together, showing moments of unification in the name of sports.

But at the closing ceremony, the North's Kim entered first and the South's Lee appeared on the stage later.

When athletes made their parade later, however, the two Koreas created a scene similar to the opening ceremony. North Koreans marched first, with some waving the Korean Unification flag, and South Koreans followed next in order, and some of the athletes were seen walking next to the North's athletes and marched together.

(Yonhap)

Unlike the opening ceremony, where the athletes from the two Koreas wore same uniform, they donned their own national team uniforms, with the South in white and the North in red. (Yonhap)

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[PyeongChang 2018] Two Koreas carry own flags, but march together at closing ceremony

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