Their countries may officially at war and be separated by the most heavily fortified border in the world, but the 2016 Rio Olympics briefly gave the opportunity for two athletes from North and South Korea to show a touching rare display of unity.
Gymnasts Lee Eun-ju of South Korea and Hong Un-jong of the North posed for a quick selfie during Sunday’s proceedings, living up to the Olympic motto “placing sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind”.
Lee, 17, was competing in her first games but Hong, 27, is a veteran.
She became North Korea’s first Olympic medalist in 2008 when she won gold in the vault.
Hong advanced to the next round in Rio but Lee Eun-Ju did not.
Politically North and South remain divided and outside the Olympic arenas the situation remains fraught.
Last week North Korea test-fired a ballistic by launching it into the Japan’s exclusive economic zone waters.
In response Japan’s military was put on a heightened state of alert.