The Heat: Olympics diplomacy on display at the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang

The Heat

Photo by CFP

Have the Winter Olympics opened the door to resolving the Korean nuclear crisis?

As the Winter Olympics drew to a close in PyeongChang over the weekend, some are suggesting that diplomacy may have won gold.

The games began with athletes from the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea marching together during opening ceremonies. ROK President Moon Jae-in welcomed representatives from the DPRK including Kim Jong-un’s sister. And the DPRK is now said to be open to dialogue with the United States. President Moon also welcomed Ivanka Trump, daughter of U.S. President Donald Trump, to the games.

So, was this a diplomatic breakthrough?

To discuss the future relationship between ROK and DPRK:

  • Jessica Lee is director of Policy and Advocacy at the Council of Korean Americans.
  • Qinduo Xu is a policy analyst for China Radio International.
  • Karl Friedhoff is a fellow in public opinion and foreign policy at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
  • Brian Becker is an analyst on U.S.-DPRK relations and he has visited the DPRK several times.

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