South Korea said Friday the resumption of basketball diplomacy with the North has been good. During the talks this week, it has helped expand the two sides’ sports exchanges. It means that such exchanges are also conducive to carrying out summit commitments.
And who would have expected that basketball would connect the North and the South? The idea that sports can help bridge two different sides is very inspiring. In fact, the united teams have been gaining a lot of international attention. This also brought in the curious sports bettors. It is very interesting for the sports betting industry to see the action on the united teams.
The South’s basketball players will return home later in the day. This is after a series of friendly games in Pyongyang.
Basketball diplomacy for a united Korean team
The games were the first time that the two sides met on the basketball court in 15 years. This was the fruit of the April 27 inter-Korean summit deal. Called the Panmunjom Declaration, it aims to ease cross-border tensions. Eventually, it will also improve bilateral ties between the two.
“It was a time that the South and the North, which became one through sports, were united again in Pyongyang,” Lee Eugene, the unification ministry’s deputy spokesperson, said at a press briefing.
The door for inter-Korean sports exchanges is now wide open. All of this is thanks to the successful event in the North’s capital. Also, the implementation of the Panmunjom Declaration may pick up speed, she added. And who knows, with continued success, this could go on longer. A more stable, or long-term strategy may help bring continuous cooperation, even just with sports.
Lee confirmed that the two Koreas had “working-level consultations” on more joint projects in Pyongyang. These consultations are starting late Thursday night after a basketball match and dinner.
