A North Korean Olympic official said yesterday the isolated state would like to co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics with its rival in the south, South Korean media reported.
Jang Ung, a North Korean member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), told Yonhap news agency in Tokyo it was “positive” for Asia to host only its third Winter Games.
When asked about the possibility of sharing some events with South Korea’s Alpine town of Pyeongchang, Jang said: “I hope so.”
“The political and military situations between the Koreas aren’t good and they have to be improved,” said Jang, who is in Tokyo to attend the general assembly of the Olympic Council of Asia. “Otherwise, they could influence the Olympics.”
Pyeongchang, about three hours drive east of Seoul, won the right to host the Games last week, succeeding in its third attempt to bring the Winter Games to South Korea for the first time.
The two Koreas are still technically at war having only signed a truce to end the 1950 to 1953 Korean War.
On Monday, the South’s main opposition party said it would look at how the two Koreas could co-host the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, hoping to use the Games to improve relations between the rival states.
However, South Korea’s Olympic Committee president played down the prospects of a combined effort, telling the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper: “The Olympics cannot be used politically. We won the bid with difficulty.”
Tensions have risen on the peninsula since conservative Lee Myung-bak became South Korean president in 2008, ending a decade of Seoul’s “Sunshine Policy” of engagement with the North.
Relations hit their lowest level in years last year, with the killing of 50 South Koreans in two separate attacks. The North denies it was behind one of the attacks and said it was provoked into the second.
Badminton world No. 3 Anders Antonsen clinched his first Indonesia Open title yesterday after beating Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen, while South Korea’s An Se-young won her second championship in Jakarta. The 28-year-old Dane sank world No. 7 Chou at the Indonesian capital’s Istora Senayan arena, winning 22-20, 21-14 in a 60-minute match to secure the prestigious Super 1000 event. Antonsen came out on top in a tightly contested first game before cruising to victory in the second. In a more closely fought women’s singles final, South Korean ace and world No. 1 An fought back from one game down to beat China’s
Spain starlets Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams dazzled on Thursday as La Roja beat France 5-4 in a thriller in Stuttgart, Germany, to set up a UEFA Nations League final with Portugal. Yamal bagged a brace, while Williams scored and provided an assist as the two wingers cut France’s makeshift defense to ribbons. Mikel Merino and Pedri were also on the score sheet for the UEFA Euro 2024 champions. Kylian Mbappe netted a second-half penalty, but Spain were 5-1 up and cruising, before Les Bleus suddenly woke up as their opponents took their foot off the pedal. France’s three late goals — a
Italy crashed to a 3-0 loss away to Norway, as the four-time FIFA World Cup champions made a disastrous start to their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign on Friday, while Belgium had to settle for a draw in North Macedonia. Alexander Sorloth, Antonio Nusa and Erling Haaland all scored in the first half in pouring rain in Oslo as Norway made it a night to forget for Italy, who missed out on the past two World Cups. “I have no explanation. Our supporters don’t deserve this kind of match. We need to do some soul-searching. It’s unacceptable,” Italy captain and goalkeeper Gianluigi
The Crusaders yesterday produced a clinical performance in difficult conditions to beat the Queensland Reds 32-12 and claim home advantage in next week’s Super Rugby semi-finals. Lock Scott Barrett and prop Tamaiti Williams scored first-half tries to reward an outstanding performance from the Crusaders’ forwards in wet, slippery conditions and bitterly cold temperatures. Scrumhalf Noah Hotham defied the conditions in the second half to score a superb solo try and, after kicking a conversion and penalty to make the score 22-0 at the hour mark, flyhalf Rivez Reihana scored a try which took the game beyond the Reds. “Typical Christchurch weather, cold, wet
RSS