NPR

Rivals Japan & South Korea Face Off At Olympics Amid Chilly Ties

The fierce rivalry between Korea and Japan is in full view at the Olympics. And showdowns on the ice are happening as the relationship between the countries is "somewhere between cold and frosty."
Nao Kodaira of Japan hugs Sang-Hwa Lee of Korea after Kodaira beat Lee in the 500m speed skating finals. The two have finished within fractions of a second of each other for years and are constantly compared to one another.

When it comes to global politics off the rink — most of the spotlight has fallen on North and South Korea. But just as the two Koreas have been making nice, South Korea and Japan have gotten chilly.

On the ice — Nao Kodaira of Japan and two-time gold medalist Lee Sang-hwa of Korea are the world's best

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