The mixed Korean double, which trained together just for two days before the competition, lost the first game to the Spanish players. The Koreans took the second game, but the Spaniards claimed the first game for a 2-1 lead.

Choe and Yoo won the fourth game 11-9, but they faced a deuce at the fifth game. As soon as Choe and Yoo each got off a winner to close out the match, South Korean spectators stood up in a rush and shouted with joy for their victory.

For the very last match of the first day competition, hundreds of South Korean spectators remained late at night in the gymnasium to cheer for the unified Korean table tennis team.

The spectators waved a unified Korean flag, which has a blue shape of the Korean Peninsula on the white backdrop, chanting a phrase "We are the one." Many of them wore a white shirt having the phrase printed.

Another Korean mixed double of Jang and Cha advanced to the next stage as their Mongolian adversaries withdrew.

"The ITTF is proud to support the reunification of the North (DPRK) and South Korean table tennis teams again at the Korean Open, after the historic unification of the teams at the World Championships in Halmstad," said Thomas Weikert, ITTF president.

South Korea and the DPRK formed a unified team for women's doubles at the semi-final of the World Championships in Halmstad, Sweden held in early May.

It was the first time in 27 years that the two Koreas formed a joint table tennis team, marking the fourth joint inter-Korean sports team in history.

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