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The inter-Korean judo team and its coaching staff pose for a group photo at the Government Palace in Ulaanbaatar

A South Korean all-star university judo team has formed a unified team with North Korean judokas.

“The South Korean team met with the North Korean team at the Government Palace in Mongolia and agreed to form a unified inter-Korean team for the 11th East Asian Judo Championships in Ulaanbaatar on June 9 and 10,” the Korea Judo Association announced on June 8.

“South and North agreed to form a unified team in this competition's team event and enter the opening ceremony jointly with a Korean Peninsula flag,” the association added. Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga was also present at the team's meeting that day.

The team event at the championships involves eight male and female competitors each (five key players and three backups). South Korea sent an all-star university team, while North Korea fielded four female judokas (-48, -57, -63, and -70kg) and two male ones (-60kg and -73kg) from its national team.

The Korea Judo Association lauded the unified team's participation in the East Asian Judo Championships as “paving the way for unified teams at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta/Palembang and the world championships.”

The East Asian Judo Championships is a goodwill exchange event with participants from eight East Asian Judo Federation member countries (South Korea, North Korea, Japan, China, Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Mongolia). Yong In University professor Jeon Ki-young is coaching the South Korean team, with seven athletes each competing on the men's and women's sides.

Mongolian President Khaltmaagiin Battulga was also present at the meeting that day.

By Kim Cham-geum, staff reporter 　

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