With the PyeongChang Winter Olympics coming
to a close,.... the team of North Korean athletes
and the cheering squad returned home on Monday,...
not knowing if they would ever see each other
again.
Our Kwon Jang-ho with more on the emotional
goodbyes.
Nineteen days after the North Korean cheering
squad arrived in the South, grabbing the world's
attention with their rhythmic and enthusiastic
cheers, it was time to go home.
The group looked relaxed and cheerful, even
posing for the odd photo with the hotel staff.
As they boarded the bus to travel to the border,
they expressed their hopes of meeting again.
"Let's meet again in a unified Korea"
"It was a historic occasion and let's meet
again.
We cheered strongly.
Let's continue working to become one and rise
up, for our people."
The hotel staff, who have seen them up close
over the past couple of weeks, came out to
see them off, offering their warm wishes.
"I don't know when it will be, but if we can
meet each other again, I hope they remember
us.
I hope they saw the good sides of our country
and take with them good feelings."
The cheering squad met up with the North's
Olympic athletes at the border checkpoint,
including the figure skating pair, Ryom Tae-ok
and Kim Ju-sik, as well as the members of
the unified ice hockey team.
They passed on further messages of good will.
"After working together for this past month,
I strongly felt that if our people join forces,
we will be able to achieve anything we want."
And although the group of nearly 300 North
Koreans returned north, it won't be long before
another sporting delegation and cheering squad
heads to the South.
North Korea is sending a 150-member delegation
for the PyeongChang Paralympics which starts
on March the 9th.
Kwon Jang-ho, Arirang News.
