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The fielding of a unified South and North Korean team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang appears poised to gather momentum after the idea was proposed by President Moon Jae-in at the June 24 opening ceremony of the World Taekwondo Federation’s 2017 World Taekwondo Championships in Muju, North Jeolla Province.

Arriving in South Korea on June 29, International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said he plans to meet with Moon shortly to discuss the matter.

Bach held a brief interview with South Korean reporters after arriving at Incheon International Airport on the afternoon of June 29 to attend the championships’ closing ceremony the following evening.

Bach said he was moved by Moon’s idea, which he said was “in the spirit of the Olympism.” The message suggested that the IOC plans to lend its active support. Moon is currently visiting the US for his first US summit since taking office, but is expected to meet with Bach upon his return to discuss issues related to inter-Korean athletic exchange.

Bach’s remarks came in response to Moon’s proposal to field a unified South and North Korea team for the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics.

“I’d like to see the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics bring a repeat of the glory of the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships and FIFA World Youth Championship, where unified South and North Korea teams were formed for the first time and achieved the best results,” Moon said at the time.

Bach suggested the event wild card system could be used to help North Korea qualify for the Pyeongchang Olympics.

“We're supporting athletes from the country to be able to qualify for the Games,” Bach said, adding that the IOC had already made a recommendation to the North Korean Olympic Committee to take part in the Olympics.

Bach was met in the airport’s VIP lounge the same day by 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics organizing committee president and CEO Lee Hee-beom and Korean Sport & Olympic Committee secretary-general Lee Kee-heung.

Bach said he was happy to be in South Korea, adding that he had come “to congratulate the WTF [World Taekwondo Federation] for a great championship.”

Bach also said one of his aims in visiting was to check up on preparations for the Pyeongchang Games, which are now seven months away.

Lee Hee-beom quoted Bach as saying he “plans to actively work with the South Korean government.”

“But he also indicated that there were a few obstacles to fielding a unified team that the South and North Korean Olympics Committees would have to discuss separately,” Lee reported.

By Kim Kyung-moo, senior staff writer

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