Jakarta, Aug 18: History will be created at the Asian Games 2018 with North Korea and South Korea putting forth a unified Korea team for three sports - women's basketball, rowing and dragon boat, which is a discipline of canoeing.

At opening ceremony of Asian Games today in Jakarta, the contingent of the North and South marched under a single unified Korea flag. The gesture was shown by the two sided at the Winter Olympics held earlier in the year as well. Watch here the march of Unified Korea contingent at Gelora Bung Karno (GBK) main stadium in Jakarta.

The fielding of unified teams for three sports at the Asian Games signals the further improvement in ties between the North and South Korea, which were technically at war for the last 67 years.

The thaw in ties came following the Winter Olympics in South Korea, when Seoul offered a warm reception to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un's sister, who accompanied the contingent from Pyongyang.

In April, a historic summit was held between Jong-un and South Korean president Moon Jae-in, when both the sides agreed to gradually dilute the borders and unite the families separated by the war which began back in 1950.

The decision to field unified teams in some sports to be played at the Asian Games was taken on June 28, when the Olympic Council of Asia brokered a meeting between the two sided in Jakarta. At the meeting, a consensus was reached between the the National Olympic Committees of DPR Korea and the Republic of Korea to unitedly contest in basketball, rowing and dragon boat.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2018 07:40 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).