South and North Korea's plan to field joint teams for the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics has ground to a halt as the North has not responded to recent requests, but South Korea will continue to push for a joint team first and foremost in women's hockey.
An official at the Korea Hockey Association told KBS that it was notified by the Unification Ministry that hockey has been singled out among the four sporting events the two Koreas had agreed to compete in together in Tokyo.
The official said the association therefore submitted related plans to the ministry on Friday.
Compared to other events, hockey is on a tighter schedule as the two Koreas need to begin joint training no later than next month to take part in a June event to secure a spot at the Olympics.
The two Koreas conveyed the plan to field joint teams at the Tokyo games to the International Olympic Committee in February.
The other three events they agreed to were judo, women's basketball and rowing.
Joint training for women's hockey was agreed to be held from April, but North Korea has not been responding ever since the collapsed North-U.S. summit in Hanoi.
An official at the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee said that Seoul reached out several times but has had no response from Pyongyang.
Pressed for time, the Unification Ministry has stepped in to offer support, but without the North's cooperation, a unified team in women's hockey may not be possible.