North Korea will officially participate in the 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade.

The Gwangju Universiade Organizing Committee (GUOC) recently announced that, “The head of the University Sports Association of The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea handed in an entry form through the International University Sports Federation (FISU) on March 3.”

According to the GUOC, North Korea will send a team of 108 people, composed of 75 athletes and 35 staff members, to the upcoming event. They will take part in six individual events -- track & field, diving, gymnastics, rhythmic gymnastics, table tennis and judo -- and two group events -- handball and women’s soccer.

North Korea has sent a delegation to attend every summer Universiade Games over the past ten years. The average number of people in the delegation was around 45.

The GUOC said, “As this year marks the 70th anniversary of both independence and the division of the Korean Peninsula, we hope both Koreas can contribute to boosting inter-Korean exchanges through sport by hosting the upcoming event together.”

The Universiade is an international sporting event for university student athletes from around the globe. It is a festival for world youth, as only athletes aged up to 28 can participate in the games. With the slogan "Light Up Tomorrow," the upcoming Gwangju Summer Universiade will be held from July 3 to 14 under a vision of environmental friendliness, peace, IT and culture. Some 20,000 athletes from 170 countries will compete to win a total of 272 gold medals in 21 disciplines.



By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: GUOC
arete@korea.kr