South Korea weightlifter wins gold, hears anthem played in rare ceremony in rival North Korea

PYONGYANG, North Korea – A South Korean weightlifter has heard his national anthem played after winning gold in an international competition in North Korea.

The unusual development between the bitter rivals comes at the Asian Cup and Interclub Weightlifting Championship in Pyongyang.

It's a vivid sign of the Koreas' easing tensions after a spring that saw North Korea vowing nuclear strikes on Seoul and Washington.

The North Korean crowd stood as the South Korean national anthem played Saturday.

Seoul says it's the first time its athletes have attended an international sports event in North Korea.

Both countries believe they're the only legitimate government on the Korean Peninsula.

The 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice, not a peace treaty, leaving the peninsula still technically in a state of war.