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The unified inter-Korean men’s handball team (provided by the Korea Handball Federation)

A unified inter-Korean team will be competing in the 2019 World Men’s Handball Championship next January in Germany.

“The unified inter-Korean team competing the World Men’s Handball Championship will consist of four North Korean players joining 16 South Korean players,” the Korea Handball Federation (KHF) explained. The rest of the squad is expected to consist of a South Korean captain, with North Korea dispatching a coach or official to lead its players.

Cho Yeong-sin, 51, coach of the military’s Sangmu team, has already been selected to serve as “control tower” for the South Korean team. With the South Korean team scheduled to begin training at the Jincheon National Training Center in mid-December, discussions are currently under way on when the North Korean players are to join in.

“We have notified the North of the training schedule by way of the International Handball Federation (IHF), but we have not yet received a reply,” KHF said.

“We will be able to discuss a concrete schedule when the North Korean Minister of Physical Culture and Sports and/or other officials attend the Asian federation’s general meeting in Japan on Nov. 27–28,” the federation predicted. The South Korean side has proposed traveling to the championship’s host country of Germany early after completing training at Jincheon in December in order to begin on-site training.

KHF explained that IHF has been playing a more active role in forming the inter-Korean team. The idea was first suggested by the IHF president, who has reportedly shown a particular interest in the area, scheduling a match between the team and host country Germany as the championship’s opening competition on Jan. 11.

South Korea has been placed in the event’s A group along with host country Germany, France, Russia, Serbia, and Brazil. Germany is ranked first internationally, while Russia is ranked fourth, France fifth, Serbia sixth, South Korea 19th, and Brazil 27th.　

By Lee Chan-yeong, staff reporter

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