A group of male and female South Korean basketball players will play their North Korean counterparts in a series of games aimed at furthering the growing ties between Seoul and Pyongyang.
A delegation of 50 male and female players landed in the North Korean capital Tuesday, led by Unification Minister Cho Myung-gyon and several government officials. The two sides will play four matches between Wednesday and Thursday before the South Koreans return home on Friday.
There is no word on whether North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, an avid basketball fan, will attend any of the games.
The mixture of athletics and diplomacy continues a trend that began when Seoul accepted Kim’s offer to send a group of athletes to the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang in February. The move led to a set of diplomatic breakthroughs, including two summits between Kim and President Moon Jae-in.
The last time the two Koreas played each other in basketball was in 2003, which took place in Pyongyang in a gym built by South Korean conglomerate Hyundai. Voice of America
