What’s the Deal with North Korea?

Some people may be wondering, “What’s even going on with North Korea?” Well, a lot is surrounding the situation in North Korea.  If you don’t already know, North Korea’s dictator, Kim Jong Un, has been threatening the U.S. using nuclear weapons. Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un have had considerable controversy over this very issue.  Trump even addresses these threats that are made directly at the U.S. Other past disputes include the Korean War. There is currently a demilitarized zone that separated the two Koreas after the war. The area is still heavily guarded by troops. All of this matter has been the center of attention as the Winter Games have started.

North Korea has not been in the Olympics in 8 years because of all the events happening surrounding them.  The last time they competed was in 2010 in Vancouver. Not only are they coming back to the Winter Olympics; they are coming back with their neighbor country. This year South and North Korea have decided that they would walk out as a unified country in the Olympics. The last time that these two nations presented themselves as one was at the 2004 Olympics.

This year since South Korea has let North Korea join them in the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, they will present themselves as one. At first, North Korea had said that they would not participate, and the president said he would boycott the Olympics. Then right before the Winter Olympics was going to begin; they had a change of heart. They are now participating in the Olympics by sending in two figure skaters, Ryom Tae-ok and Kim Ju-sik. There was even some disagreement surrounding these two skaters as well. They had missed the deadline for submitting athletes, but they extended the date for North Korea. As North Korea introduced themselves to the Games,  many supporters joined them from their home country.

All throughout media, there has been talking about what people think about the whole North Korea situation. There was even a Snapchat story called, “24 South Koreans Say What They Really Think About North Korea”;there was a great deal of unexpected positivity showed throughout the story.  Many people all over the world have been talking about North Korea and the situation overall. America has been extremely reluctant and watchful of North Korea since they are in fact at the Olympics. In the next coming weeks, we will see how South Korea’s two players do in the Games.