Chang Ung, the only North Korean ever to serve on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and a key figure in promoting inter-Korean sports exchanges, has died at the age of 87. The IOC announced his death on Wednesday, expressing “extreme sadness” and ordering the Olympic flag to fly at half-mast for three days at Olympic House in Lausanne.
Born in 1938, Chang was a former basketball player who captained the North Korean national team before moving into sports administration. He served as vice sports minister, vice chairman of North Korea’s National Olympic Committee, and vice president of the Olympic Council of Asia. In 1996, he was elected to the IOC, representing his country in international sports diplomacy.
Chang played a pivotal role in talks with South Korea that led to historic joint marches at the Olympics. At the 2000 Sydney Games, athletes from both Koreas paraded together under a “unification flag” for the first time since their division in 1945. Similar joint marches followed at subsequent Games, including the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, where Chang said he was “deeply moved.”
His efforts also resulted in unified Korean teams at the 1991 world table tennis championships and the first combined Olympic women’s ice hockey team at Pyeongchang 2018. However, sports cooperation has stalled in recent years as political relations deteriorated, with North Korea shunning talks since 2019.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry praised Chang’s contributions, stating: “His efforts to promote cooperation on the Korean Peninsula demonstrated the power of sport to build bridges and inspire hope.” Chang was awarded the Olympic Order in 2023 and became an honorary IOC member. North Korea’s state media has not reported his death.
