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| PyeongChang Olympics Puts Spotlight on North Korea |
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At the PyeongChang Olympics,
North and South Korea will march together
under a special unified flag
during the opening ceremonies.
They will also field
a unified women’s ice hockey team.
An all-female North Korean cheering squad,
known as its "army of beauties,"
will be on hand
to support athletes from both countries.
And the North Korean Samjiyon Band orchestra
and other artists
will perform
in both the PyeongChang region and Seoul.
For South Korean President Moon Jae-in,
this inter-Korean Olympic cooperation is part of a broader diplomatic initiative
to peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear standoff.
"We have to lead North Korea into a dialogue of denuclearization as well,
which will also improve inter-Korean relationships."
However, in South Korea there is increasing opposition
to Moon’s Olympic engagement
that conservatives see as unilateral concessions
to the repressive North.
The U.S. also views the North’s Olympic cooperation as an attempt
to improve its threatening image
and weaken international support
for tough international sanctions.
"I think
this is a distraction.
I think
this is doing what North Korea has always done,
which is when things get hot,
start talking."
U.S. President Donald Trump has pushed for a "maximum pressure" policy,
emphasizing tougher economic sanctions and possible military action,
to stop the North from developing long-range nuclear missiles
that can target the U.S. mainland.
The U.S. and South Korea have suspended joint military exercises
for the Olympics
but indicated
they would resume
soon after the games,
despite a North Korean demand
to further suspend the drills
to support improving inter-Korean relations.
Brian Padden, VOA News, Seoul
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