North, South Korea make plans for unified team

North and South Korea will try to make a symbolic dream of unification a reality when they meet today to discuss forming a joint team for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha.

Still technically at war, the two Koreas first considered competing as a joint team for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but years of acrimony and military tensions meant it remained just an idea.

Despite recent warming ties between Seoul and Pyongyang that have given some South Korean officials optimism ahead of the talks, athletes and coaches say the barriers blocking the formation of a unified team may be too high to clear.

Senior sports officials from the two Koreas agreed on November 1 to compete as a single sports team in Beijing and Doha.

South Korea officials are approaching the talks to be held in the North Korean border city of Kaesong with the utmost caution.

"There is no official agenda for the sports talks because we do not want to build up any expectations," an official from South Korea's Unification Ministry said.

"This will be a new experience and a significant part of progress towards unification," the official added.