North Korean leader Kim Jong Un,  and South Korean President Moon Jae-in embrace each other. (File photo | AP)
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, and South Korean President Moon Jae-in embrace each other. (File photo | AP)

North and South Korea to field joint teams in three sports at Asian Games: Asiad official

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed at an historic summit in April to jointly participate in international sports events.

JAKARTA: North and South Korea will field joint teams in three sports -- canoeing, rowing and women's basketball -- at the Asian Games, organisers said Thursday.

"We won't add any more (sports)," Games deputy chairman Sjafrie Sjamsoeddin told reporters after a meeting in Jakarta. "We have to be strict with scheduling so there will be no more changes."

He said further details about logistics would come later.

The two countries will also march together in the opening and closing ceremonies, officials said.

Organisers of the Games, being held in Indonesia from August 18-September 2, met Thursday in Jakarta with representatives from the two Koreas to hammer out plans to field joint teams.

Seoul and Pyongyang agreed this month to form unified teams for some sports though the events were only confirmed Thursday, in the latest sign of thawing tensions.

The two Koreas formed their first-ever unified Olympic team -- a joint women's ice hockey squad -- for February's Winter Games in the South Korean resort of Pyeongchang.

The Asian Games will be held in Indonesia's capital and Palembang on Sumatra island.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korean President Moon Jae-in agreed at an historic summit in April to jointly participate in international sports events.

This month, Kim and US President Donald Trump held a summit in Singapore.

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