The Olympics Brought North and South Korea Together. But Hope for a Unified Korea Is ‘Withering Away’

Though the unified Korean women's ice hockey team concluded its Olympics story in PyeongChang, South Korea, on Tuesday, with its fifth defeat in a row, fans and athletes alike hailed the team. As one hockey spectator told TIME's Sean Gregory, the players were a symbol of hope for the eventual reunification of the country.

That reunification has been a subject of both debate and wishful thinking ever since North Korea and South Korea split following World War II.