Combined Korean team loses debut game

A combined Korean women's ice hockey team has lost its debut match at the Winter Olympics 8-0 to Switzerland, watched on by South Korean President Moon Jae In and various North Korean dignitaries.

The game marked the first time that North and South Korea have formed a combined team at the Olympics, and comes after a recent warming of relations between the two nations.

Before the match, South Korea's president Moon was accompanied to his seat by North Korea's ceremonial head of state Kim Yong Nam and ruler Kim Jong Un's sister, Kim Yo Jong, who both arrived in the country as part of an official delegation on Friday.

The host team, a mix of players from both North and South Korea, conceded their first goal after just 10 minutes at Kwandong Hockey Centre when Switzerland's Alina Muller scored off an assist from Sara Benz.

It was to be the first of three first period goals scored by the 19-year-old infront of a boisterous South Korean crowd, many of whom waved both national and white and blue Korean unification flags throughout the match.

Muller added another goal in the second period, before Swiss forward Phoebe Staenz grabbed two of her own. In the third, Lara Stalder also scored twice for the world number six team.

The combined Korean side, which is considered a rank outsider in Group B of the 8-team women's competition, is next set to play on Monday.