Hear a South Korea native weigh in on the two divided nations’ unity flag

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WJBF)–  The 2018 Winter Games are in full swing, and all eyes are on North and South Korea’s athletes. Tensions are high between the countries, but that did not stop athletes from joining hands as they entered the Pyeongchang stadium Friday.

We spoke with Eugene Yu– a candidate for Georgia’s House District 12 in the upcoming election. He was in Atlanta for his campaign Sunday, but he made time to give insight about what he thinks is really going on between his home country and North Korea.

Hand-in-hand, North and South Korean athletes marched under a unity flag at the 2018 Winter games opening ceremony– as a symbolic break in tensions between the two divided nations. The Korean unification flag displays the entire Korea peninsula, the spectacle leaving many wondering if the nations are ready to make peace.

But Eugene Yu, Ga House Candidate running for District 12 grew up in South Korea, and he said it is all for show: “This is nothing but North Korea propaganda not only to South Korea but to the world,” Yu told NewsChannel 6. “I mean, this is typical that North Korea is playing a game to the free world.”

He feels the media did not portray the full picture because he says the majority of conservative South Koreans were against the unity flag, many wanting their homeland represented.

“South Korea has their flag, and North Korea has their flag,” Yu explained.

The two countries first displayed the flag at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championship, but this year’s appearance comes at a crucial time.

Tensions between North and South Korea have catapulted during the past year as the north’s missile programs have advanced, and its leader, Kim Jong Un, has been vocal about putting them to use.

“South Korea plays the game with North Korea. Anything they ask [is] ‘yes! yes! yes!’ They are, what do you call it, a wolf in a sheep’s coat,” Yu explained.

And it is the first time in 8 years that North Korea participated in the winter Olympics.

“The North Koreans are very cleverly, cleverly using the winter Olympics as a propaganda to the world,” Yu said.

Security has been tightened for this winter’s competition. An estimated 60,000 South Korean personnel, including 50,000 soldiers are scattered throughout the venue. That is nearly twice as many that were on hand at the 2016 games.