FILE PHOTO: 2016 Rio Olympics – Gymnastics training – Rio Olympic Arena – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – 04/08/2016. Lee Eun-Ju (KOR) of South Korea (R) takes a selfie picture with Hong Un Jong (PRK) of North Korea. REUTERS/Dylan Martinez
September 28, 2018
SEOUL (Reuters) – The two Koreas will pursue a plan to form a joint artistic gymnastics team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Seoul’s gymnastics association has said, with discussions set to be held during the upcoming world championships.
Yonhap news reported that Korea Gymnastics Association (KGA) officials will meet their North Korean counterparts and consider the proposal at the Oct. 25-Nov. 3 event in Doha.
Last week, the Koreas said they had agreed to pursue a bid to co-host the 2032 Summer Olympics, following a summit between North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Pyongyang.
The International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) was also keen to help sports exchanges between the neighbors, according to the report.
“A FIG executive meeting will be held in Pyongyang next January,” Yonhap quoted an unnamed KGA official as saying. “North Korea’s participation in the Korea Cup and their supporting plans could be discussed.”
In a bid to ease tensions on the Korean peninsula, a unified team competed at this year’s Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang and the two nations also fielded joint teams under a common flag at the Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang.
(Reporting by Sudipto Ganguly in Mumbai; Editing by John O’Brien)
