SEOUL, South Korea, February 13. ATTEMPTS by South Korea and North Korea to field a unified team for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing have appeared to fail, according to Yonhap News. The two nations, which have been split for 60 years, had discussions about competing as one nation, but couldn't agree on the parameters. They are likely to try again to find harmony.
South Korea wanted the team to be determined on merit while North Korea desired equal representation from both nations. One proposal had each nation identifying its National Team, followed by competitions to select from the athletes eligible. Swimming-wise, what develops will impact whether Tae Hwan Park, the fast-rising freestyle ace, will represent Korea or South Korea in Beijing.