The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that Chang Ung, North Korea’s sole representative ever to serve on the IOC, has passed away at the age of 87.
Chang died on Sunday, prompting the IOC to express “extreme sadness” and order the Olympic flag to fly at half-staff for three days at Olympic House in Lausanne, Switzerland as a tribute. Officials have not disclosed what caused his death, and North Korean state media has remained silent about his passing.
Starting life as a basketball captain for North Korea’s national team in 1938, Chang transitioned into sports administration after his playing career ended. He climbed the ranks to become a deputy sports minister, deputy chairman of North Korea’s Olympic Committee, and deputy president of the Olympic Council of Asia.
Chang earned his IOC membership in 1996, making him North Korea’s first and only representative on the committee. In this role, he spearheaded challenging negotiations with South Korea aimed at fostering athletic cooperation between the divided nations.
His most significant achievement came during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, where North and South Korean athletes made history by walking together behind a “unification flag” showing the Korean peninsula. This marked the first joint procession since Korea’s 1945 partition.
Korean athletes continued these symbolic joint entrances at subsequent Olympic Games and international competitions, including the 2018 Pyeongchang Olympics in South Korea. Witnessing the unified march at Pyeongchang’s opening ceremony, Chang expressed to journalists that he felt “deeply moved.”
Chang’s diplomatic efforts produced earlier breakthroughs as well, including the 1991 world table tennis championships in Chiba, Japan, where the two Koreas sent their first joint men’s and women’s teams. The Pyeongchang Games later featured the first combined Korean Olympic squad in women’s ice hockey.
However, athletic cooperation between the Koreas has deteriorated alongside worsening political relationships. No sports exchanges have occurred between the nations in recent years. North Korea has avoided dialogue with both South Korea and the United States since leader Kim Jong Un’s nuclear negotiations with former U.S. President Donald Trump fell apart in 2019. Kim has since declared South Korea a permanent adversary and dismissed reunification prospects.
The IOC credited Chang with advancing athletic participation, cultural exchanges, and sport’s societal impact. IOC President Kirsty Coventry stated: “His efforts to promote cooperation on the Korean Peninsula demonstrated the power of sport to build bridges and inspire hope.”
Chang participated in various IOC committees, including Sport for All and the International Olympic Truce Foundation. North Korea’s official KCNA news agency last referenced Chang in 2023, when he received the Olympic Order during an IOC session in Mumbai, India. The award recognizes exceptional Olympic contributions, and Chang, then serving as an honorary IOC member, participated virtually in the ceremony.
