After a disastrous divorce from each other nearly 70 years ago, North Korea and South Korea are “flirting” with the notion of a reconciliation of sorts. Should the world be concerned? Japan says YES!
Current Events
In a surprise move announced Wednesday, North and South Korea have agreed to march under one flag and present a joint team during next month’s Olympic Winter Games. During the opening ceremony in Pyeongchang, the teams will march together under the Unification Flag and sponsor a joint women’s ice hockey team. Their agreement also includes the allowance of a 140-piece orchestra from North Korea to perform in the South during the ceremony.
Why is this big news, you ask?  North and South Korea are still technically at war with each other, stemming from a 1950-53 conflict that ended in a truce and not peace. For decades, families have been separated by a demilitarized zone that divides the north from the south. The 2 nations also have nuclear weapons pointed at each other, with the north being supported by China and the south in accord with the US.
After years of silence, the 2 countries entered secret talks with each other sometime last week. The combined Olympics team is only a small start, with more unity possibly to follow. However, for those countries around the world that may be cheering the thawing of tensions between South and North Korea, Japan has a vital message to share: NOT SO FAST!
Japanese officials are warning that the world should not be naive to the North’s newfound “charm offensive,” suggesting that North Korea likely has a hidden agenda attached to their unexpected “Kumbaya” feeling toward the south.
“It is not the time to ease pressure or to reward North Korea,” foreign minister Taro Kono said. “The fact that North Korea is engaging in dialogue could be interpreted as proof that the sanctions are working.”
Interestingly, they’re not alone in their theory.
Current Events
Several North Korean athletes expressed concern toward being forced to compete with their neighbors to the south. Additionally, more than 100 petitions were sent to South Korea’s Olympic committee opposing a joint Olympics team.
The largest petition contained over 11,000 signatures, with one person writing: “This isn’t the same as gluing a broken plate together”.
However, the North Korea Rodong Sinmun newspaper gave a thumbs up, saying the relationship between the North and the South appeared to be heading “towards detente”.
