What is the unified Korean flag? Koreas to march under the same flag at Winter Olympics
The two ｃountries will march together under a “unification flag” at the Winter Olympics in South Korea and will compete as a unified team in the Olympics for the first time.
North Korea will send a 550-strong delegation, including 230 cheerleaders, 140 artists and 30 Taekwondo players to South Korea who will start arriving in the ｃountry from January 25.
The games take place between February 9 and 25 in Pyeongchang in South Korea.
North Korea has agreed to send a separate 150-strong delegation to the Paralympics which are held in March.
The two ｃountries agreed to field a combined women’s ice hockey team at the Olympics, however this has triggered an angry response from athletes in the South.
But the prospect of a combined team is unsettling for the South Korean players, the ｃountry’s women’s hockey head coach told Reuters last month, as in many winter sports, the South is much stronger than the North.
And tens of thousands of people have signed a petition opposing a unified team - the most popular petition has garnered more than 17,000 votes - urging the Blue House to scrap the plan.
On Saturday the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will meet in Lausanne, Switzerland to discuss North Korea’s involvement in the games, as it has missed registration deadlines or failed to qualify.
North and South Korea met in the truce village of Panmunjom after a new round of talks amid a thaw in cross-border ties.
The ｃountries first held talks last week about the Olympic Games - the first time North and South Korea have talked in more than two years, offering a respite from a standoff over Pyongyang’s nuclear and missile programmes.
What is the Korean Unification Flag?
North and South Korea have agreed to march under the Korean Unification Flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang on February 9.
The flag depicts the peninsula as a united Korea - both North and South - and is used when the two ｃountries participate as one team in a sporting event.
The background of the flag is white and in the centre there is a blue silhouette of the Korean peninsula including Jeju Island to the southwest and Ulleungdo and the Liancourt Rocks to the east.
The flag was first used in 1991 and the ｃountries marched together under the flag in opening ceremonies including the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney and the 2003 Summer Olympics in Athens, however the ｃountries competed separately in these sporting events.
It is the first time the flag will be used at the Olympics where the ｃountries will compete together.
Article Source: https://www.express.co.uk/news/world/906165/North-Korea-South-Korea-Winter-Olympics-2018-Korean-Unification-flag-unified-Korean-flag
Image Source: http://d1his4x2sxqugq.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/20180117171834/Korea-unification-flag.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Trigger (v.) ~ cause (an event or situation) to happen or exist
2. Prospect (n.) ~ the possibility or likelihood of some future event occurring
3. Garner (v.) ~ gather or collect (something, especially information or approval)
4. Scrap (v.) ~ abolish or cancel (something, especially a plan, policy, or law) that is now regarded as unnecessary, unwanted, or unsuitable
5. Truce (n.) ~ an agreement between enemies or opponents to stop fighting or arguing for a certain time
6. Thaw (v.) ~ make or become friendlier or more cordial
7. Respite (n.) ~ a short period of rest or relief from something difficult or unpleasant
8. Standoff (n.) ~ a stalemate or deadlock between two equally matched opponents in a dispute or conflict
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Describe the unification flag. Who designed it and are there any reason for its color and design?
2. How do you feel about the possibility of the two Koreas competing together in the Winter Olympics?
3. Why is it that a lot of Korean people, including the coach, are against the combined women hockey team?
4. Do you think that the peace talks between the two ｃountries would continue even after the Olympics is over? Discuss your answer.
