Pyeongyang joint declaration of September 2018 and new turning point for inter-korean sports exchange / Wootae Lee

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Pyeongyang joint declaration of September 2018 and new turning point for inter-korean sports exchange / Wootae Lee

The Pyeongyang joint declaration has produced significant agreements that could mark a new turning point in inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation. The decision to field the unified Korean team for the 2020 Olympics will serve as a stepping stone for maintaining a consistency of sports exchange. The South-North joint hosing of the 2032 Olympic Games will also provide an opportunity to change an image of the Korean Peninsula, marred by war and conflicts in the past, into a symbol of peace, speeding up the process of denuclearization and the establishment of a peace regime and further expanding the horizon of inter-Korean exchange and cooperation. In addition, for more stable and sustainable formation of the unified Korean team, the two Koreas should promptly create an institutional mechanism, such as concluding an “inter-Korean agreement on sports exchange” or establishing a“joint office on inter-Korean sports exchange.”A joint hosting of the Olympics requires flexible cooperation of the South and the North in all related sectors, including politics, economy, society, and culture. Moreover, a “task force on hosting the Olympics” should primarily be launched within the government to review the process in advance for the Olympic co-hosting and make timely preparations and proposals.