By Kim Eun-young and Kim Young Shin

The two Koreas from Jan. 10 will field their first unified men’s handball team at the 26th International Handball Federation (IHF) World Men’s Handball Championship hosted by Germany and Denmark.

The IHF on Jan. 4 said on its official website that the joint squad was formed “(thanks to) the recent positive development in the relationship between the Republic of Korea and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

The federation said one of the competition’s host cities, Berlin, “(is) a city no stranger to the process of unification,” adding that the unified Korean team is “more than sport, history in the making.”

South Korean coach Cho Young-shin will lead 16 players from South Korea and four from the North under the official team name of Korea (COR).

The IHF proposed the unified team for the event, and with the help of International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, the Olympic committees of both Koreas agreed.

The team will play its opening match against Germany on Jan. 10 in Berlin. South Korean Ambassador to Germany Jong Bum-goo and North Korean Ambassador to Germany Pak Nam Yong will attend the game, backed by a unified cheering squad for support.

eykim86@korea.kr