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South Korean Basketballers Arrive in North to Mix Sports, Diplomacy

by VOA News

   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.