Two Koreas to form joint teams at Int'l Table Tennis Federation World Tour Platinum Korea Open

Sports diplomacy is continuing to play a crucial role in facilitating dialogue between the two Koreas who are seeking the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The two have agreed to form joint teams for an international tournament which begins Tuesday in South Korea. Kim Hyo-sun tells us more. North Korean table tennis players arrived in South Korea on Sunday to compete in an international tournament,... and the two Koreas have agreed to form joint doubles teams. The North's 25-member squad,... includes the 16 players who will take part in the International Table Tennis Federation World Tour Platinum Korea Open which begins in the central city of Daejeon on Tuesday. This marks the third time since 1991,... that the two sides have formed joint table tennis teams,... and the first time the North competes in an International Table Tennis Federation event.During the six-day tournament, the two Koreas will form united teams in men's, women's and mixed doubles. "The two Koreas will become one through table tennis and sports,... and the two will compete at the Korean Open together in many different ways. This is hugely progressive. I expect to see the Korean players hold hands and play wonderful games." According to the Korea Table Tennis Association, South Korea's Lee Sang-su will pair up with the North's Pak Sin-hyok for the men's doubles event,... and in the women's doubles, it'll be Seo Hyo-won and Kim Song-i .For mixed doubles, South Korea's Jang Woo-jin and North's Cha Hyo-sim will play together,... as will Yoo Eun-chong and Pak Sin-hyok. "It's really a dream come true. I've always hoped to see a unified team since I was a member of the unified team last time, and I also hope to have more sport exchanges with the North." The so-called "ping pong diplomacy",... among other sports exchanges,... comes as the two Koreas seek ways to mend their ties and achieve the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The two Koreas have also agreed to forge combined teams in some sports during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta that start next month. Kim Hyo-sun, Arirang News.