GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES

Play-By-Play: Does the Korean Olympics Detente Have Staying Power?

Feb 26, 2018 | 12:53 GMT

The unofficial 'Unification Flag' representing both North and South Korea became a symbol of the warming ties between the two countries during the Pyeongchang Olympics.

The unofficial 'Unification Flag' representing both North and South Korea became a symbol of the warming ties between the two countries during the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

(KIM DOO-HO/AFP/Getty Images)

With North Korean and South Korean athletes marching in the opening ceremonies under a unified flag and playing together on the joint women’s hockey team, the thawing of their countries' relationship was positioned as a key feature of these games. Even the International Olympic Committee was on board with the openly political tone that the unity flag set. While the IOC usually pretends that politics and sports are mutually exclusive, associating the Olympics with any tangible diplomatic gains would be quite the public relations coup, especially in the wake of the Russian doping scandal. So, with the Olympic flame now extinguished, can we claim any sort of victory for sports diplomacy?...

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