South, North Korean teams enter hand in hand; draw applause from world

Athletes from South and North Korea entered the stadium hand in hand and drew thunderous applause from the more than 110,000 spectators that filled the Olympic stadium in Sydney. The 27th Sydney Olympic Games, the global village's grand festival, ushering in a new millennium, were opened at the Olympic Park Stadium in Sydney, Australia.

The two teams of Korean athletes entered the stadium, following Kenya, marching to the Korean folk song ¡°Arirang,¡± and thus demonstrating to the world that Korea is one. The event was attended by over 16,000 athletes from 199 International Olympic Committee member nations, including South and North Korea, and East Timor.

A total of 180 athletes from the two parts of the Korean peninsula (104 from the South and 76 from the North) paraded before the audience, led by Jeong Eun-Sun of the South and Park Jeong-Cheol, hoisting a flag inscribed with a blue picture of the Korean peninsula.

Following the opening declaration by Australian Governor William Dean, and opening remarks by IOC chairman Juan Antonio Samaranch, the Olympic flag was raised as a song praising the Olympics played. The ceremony culminated in the lighting of the Olympic torch from a flame that had been relayed to Sydney from Athene, Greece, starting last May. The Games will be held in 28

divisions with 300 gold medals up for grabs during 16 days. The games will start a full-fledged medal race with the women's rifle shooting event tomorrow.