North Korean athletes who will compete in unified teams with their South Korean counterparts at this year's Asian Games have arrived at Incheon International Airport to meet their teammates from the South and begin preparations for the event.
Won Jung-hwan reports.
34 North Korean athletes will be joining their counterparts from the South on joint teams at the Asian Games in about three weeks' time in Jakarta and Palembang, Indonesia.
The delegation flew to South Korea on Sunday via Beijing for joint training.
The two Koreas are set to field joint teams in women's basketball, dragon boat racing, and rowing for the Asian Games which will be held in August.
There are 18 North Korean athletes here for the dragon boat team, 8 for rowing, 4 for women's basketball and 4 support staff.
The North Korean paddlers will begin their training with South Koreans at Chungju , about 150 kilometers south of Seoul.
"When we move to the training center in Chungju , we are expecting to first go through some medical tests and administrative works. Then after few days later, we think we will start the joint training,... We expect male squad to get good results considering what they achieved in short period of time at the previous Guangzhou Asian Games. Also, our female athletes are doing well, and together with outstanding North Koreans in the team, we expect to grab some medals at the tournament."
In women's basketball, three North Koreans -- Ro Suk-yong , Jang Mi-gyong and Kim Hye-yon , who all played in the inter-Korean friendly matches in Pyongyang earlier this month, were named to the unified team along with 9 South Korean players.
The South Korean team are the defending champions at the Asian Games.
They're currently in Taiwan for an international tournament and will get back this Wednesday.
Until then, the three North Korean players will be practicing on their own in Jincheon, 90 kilometers south of Seoul.
They don't have a lot of time to practice together, though -- the Asian Games begin on August 18th.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.
