South Korea at the 2018 Winter Paralympics Facts for Kids

South Korea sent athletes to compete in the 2018 Winter Paralympics. These Games took place in Pyeongchang, South Korea. For the opening ceremony, South Korea and North Korea marched together as one team. They walked behind a special flag called the unification flag. South Korea competed in sports like sledge hockey.

South Korea and North Korea Compete Together
Meet the South Korean Team
South Korea's Medal Goals
South Korea's Paralympic History
Para-Nordic Skiing Events
- Para-Nordic Skiing Schedule
- Para-Nordic Skiing Results
Sledge Hockey Action
Related Pages
See also

South Korea and North Korea Compete Together

The Unification flag of Korea

The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) announced that North Korea would join the Winter Games for the first time. North Korean athletes competed under a Korean unification flag. This was just like their team for the 2018 Winter Olympics. This was North Korea's first time at the Winter Paralympics. They had previously attended the 2012 Summer Paralympics and the 2016 Summer Paralympics.

On January 1, 2018, Kim Jong-un said he wanted North Koreans to compete. He hoped they would join both the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. North Korean officials met with the IPC in Lusanne, Switzerland, on January 20, 2018. At this meeting, North Korea and South Korea asked to compete as one team.

On February 27, the two countries met again. This meeting was in a small village on the border with South Korea. They talked about how they would compete together at the Winter Games. The South Korean government believed North Korea's participation was important. They hoped it would help reduce problems between the two countries.

Meet the South Korean Team

South Korea really wanted to do well at the 2018 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. They did not want to feel disappointed since they were hosting the Games. To prepare, they searched worldwide for top coaches and athletes. They even gave citizenship to 19 people for the Olympic team. For the Paralympics, they gave citizenship to one person. However, this person was not chosen for the final team.

South Korea had one of the largest teams at the Games. Their team had 36 athletes.

South Korea's Medal Goals

South Korea aimed to win four medals at the Games. Their goal was to earn one gold medal, one silver medal, and two bronze medals.

South Korea's Paralympic History

South Korea hosted the 1988 Summer Paralympics. The 2018 Winter Paralympics was the second time South Korea hosted the Games. South Korea has sent athletes to every Winter Paralympic Games since the 1992 Winter Paralympics.

Para-Nordic Skiing Events

Para-Nordic Skiing Schedule

On March 12, the 15 km race took place. Women in the standing and vision impaired categories started at 10:00 PM. The sprint classic qualification happened on March 14. It ran from 10:00 AM to 11:25 AM for both men and women in all classes. Later that afternoon, the semifinals and finals were held. The classic race was on March 17. The standing and visually impaired women's race was from 10:00 AM to 12:30 PM.

Para-Nordic Skiing Results

In the men's 15 km sitting cross-country skiing race, Maksym Yarovyi from Ukraine won the gold medal. Daniel Cnossen from the United States won silver. Sin Eui Hyun from South Korea won the bronze medal.

Sledge Hockey Action

Sledge Hockey Players

Many people believe Jung Segun-Hwan is one of the best forwards in the world. He scored a goal in the bronze medal match at the 2017 Sledge Hockey World Championships. That goal helped his team win the bronze medal.

South Korean players
Name	Position	ref
Jung Segun-Hwan	forward

Sledge Hockey Team History

South Korea was able to play at the 2018 Paralympics because they were the host country. South Korea played in the 2017 World Sledge Hockey Challenge. This event took place in December in Charlottetown, Canada. South Korea also played in a tournament in January in Japan. They beat Norway 5-0 to win the gold medal there.

South Korea won a bronze medal at the 2014 Winter Paralympics. People thought they had a good chance to win another medal in 2018.

Sledge Hockey Games and Scores

The United States, South Korea, the Czech Republic, and Japan were in Group B for the sledge hockey competition. South Korea played against Japan on March 10. They played against the Czech Republic on March 11.