Sarah Murray, the head coach of the unified women's ice hockey team for the Olympics has praised North Korean athletes for their hard work and willingness to learn, saying she is proud of them.

The joint Korean team with 18 South Koreans and four North Koreans made their debut on Sunday in Incheon in a friendly match against Sweden, which ended in a 3-1 loss.

Coach Murray said at a press conference after the game that the North Korean athletes, in particular Jong Su-hyon, played really well in front of the large crowd in spite of a different system and environment.

She said that North Koreans joined the team 12 days ahead of the Olympics but they are eager to learn and are getting better. 

The joint team will face Switzerland on Saturday, Sweden next Monday and Japan next Wednesday in Group B at the Olympics.