The year was 1987 and Seoul, South Korea, was gearing up to host the 1988 summer Olympics. Just months earlier, South Koreans demanded a removal of the country’s authoritarian regime and attempted a reasonably successful presidential election.
South Korea was in a state of progressive change and North Korea took notice. In November 1987, North Korea bombed a Korean Air passenger plane protesting the upcoming Seoul Olympics and placed fear in organizers, athletes and attendees across the world.
Nearly 30 years later, after countless and mostly failed attempts at peace, the two divisive countries are joining together in the most unexpected way — an Olympic women’s ice hockey team.