The Korean teams march together during the opening ceremony for the Asian Games on Saturday night in Jakarta. The Japan News/Asia News Network
JAKARTA — A spectacular show opened the festivities at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, highlighted by a video featuring Indonesian President Joko Widodo riding a motorcycle into the stadium that triggered a roar of approval from the spectators.
In his opening remarks, Olympic Council of Asia President Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said, “We are making history today,” praising the joint participation of North and South Korean athletes.
When the competitors walked into the stadium, North and South Korean athletes marched together under a flag representing the Korean Peninsula.
They received warm cheers because the two countries are technically still at war following the Korean War from 1950 to 1953 — when fighting ended — that remains in a truce.
Unified Korean teams will participate in women’s basketball, canoeing and rowing at the Asian Games, which run through Sept. 2.
One of the spectators at the opening ceremony, Kim Ki Ju, 49, a South Korean living in Indonesia, watched the emotional march with his wife and three children.
“We are one people because we share the same language and culture,” Kim said. “We need to increase the chance of working together in sports and cultural events, and I want to show that to the next generation like my children.”
Softball pitcher Yukiko Ueno was the flag-bearer as Japanese athletes marched in.
“The Asian Games are very important to us because we are seeking a fifth consecutive win at these Games,” Ueno said, adding, “I hope a good performance by our team can encourage other Japanese athletes as well.”
Another highlight of the ceremony was the lighting of the cauldron by Susi Susanti, who won gold at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics in badminton, one of the most popular sports in Indonesia.
She was the country’s first Olympic gold medalist and served as the final torch bearer during the ceremony.
After the festivities, Jakarta hairdresser Hilda Susan, 40, said the ceremony helped in uniting the diverse society of Indonesia — with its population of more than 260 million — through various dances that reflected the country’s history.
“It was amazing. We are very, very proud of Indonesia,” she said.