Two Koreas unable to set aside politics at the Games
BEIJING -- Most disappointing about the parade of athletes at the Olympic opening ceremony was that South Korean and North Korean athletes did not march together.
They had reached an accommodation in 2000 and 2004 that enabled them to march in as one delegation.
It is difficult at times not to be cynical about the Olympic movement, considering the politics, corruption, over-commercialization and drugs, but the united delegation marches marked moments when you could remember what it was all supposed to be about.
In 2000, the Koreans marched in together only 12 years after North Korea refused to even send its athletes across the demilitarized zone to compete in the Seoul Games. This year, there was even discussion about them competing as one team.
The decision made by political leaders this week in Seoul and Pyongyang was met with regret by International Olympic Committee President Jacques Rogge.
He called it a "setback for peace and harmony and reunification.''
Tension between the two sides has escalated in recent months.
-- Randy Harvey
Update: Photo added at 12:04 p.m.
Photo: The North Korean team marches during the Opening Ceremony of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Bird's Nest on Friday night. Credit: John Mabanglo/EPA
How unfortunate.
Posted by: C. Lee | August 08, 2008 at 10:01 AM
Why can't humans live in harmony... even for a brief moment of time such as this.
Posted by: Anonymous | August 08, 2008 at 12:17 PM
So we have to look at the photo of the team from N. Korea for what? Make their "dear leader" happier or show how cool the LA Times is? The N. Korean team members are no better than their leader as they only glorify him by their "achievements" - it's the same as the German athetes displayed by Hitler. Their dictator is a vile, cruel, dispicable, tin pan cretin dictator and any mention of them supports him. What's the use, people have the governments they deserve. And you wonder why you are circiling the drain.
Posted by: Roy | August 08, 2008 at 01:03 PM
Why should they march together? Or even compete as one team? They're two separate countries with each group wanting to represent their own. I know no S. Korean would want to march under N. Korean flag, and I assume it's the same vice versa.
Posted by: Abe | August 08, 2008 at 02:18 PM
Roy, I disagree with your comment that "The N. Korean team members are no better than their leader". NK society and its peoples are not what they appear to be. Although everyone in NK professes an outward devotion to their Dear Leader, inwardly most yearn for the things that you and I take for granted. These people were born into a party system and way of life over which they have absolutely no control. This is clearly a nation where the leadership looks out for their needs first and the people's needs second. Have compassion on the NK people. for they are trapped in the most bizarre of worlds.
Posted by: Phil | August 08, 2008 at 02:30 PM
It's a complex situation, but still very unfortunate. The people of each "country" are ethnically the same, meaning they are literally brothers and sisters. To have them march together and share the olympic stage together in unification would be nice, but it only scratches the surface of the underlying problems surrounding this issue.
Remember, what the gov't for either country does isn't always indicative of the feelings of the general population. I don't even have to mention examples showing this.
Posted by: Anon | August 08, 2008 at 02:51 PM
I'm a south Korean (Korean American to be exact) and every time two separated countries marched in together, it brought tears to my eyes. It is extremely sad that they couldn't march in together this time around. And Roy, they actually march under the unification flag rather than that of N or S.
Posted by: Anna Cho | August 08, 2008 at 03:36 PM
There is a reason why the DMZ line is still present....
There are two different flags, two different customs, two different traditions.
There is a reason WHY its called NORTH and sOUTH...
Your article should be about how IGNORANT people are about this suitation not how dissapointing it was to see them not walk together.
Being Frank, the Olympics is a competition of the countries PRIDE, why would TWO different countries want to walk together, clearly when the world knows the two countries have a HUGE wall between their land.
Posted by: Katherine | August 08, 2008 at 05:54 PM
I'm surprised they have a team. They must all be related to Kim II Sung because the last report I heard, everyone is starving; no potatoes, rice, or cabbage.
Posted by: kent | August 08, 2008 at 06:16 PM
It's two separate countries that don't get along. What do you expect?
Posted by: Londin | August 08, 2008 at 06:36 PM