As they skated around the rink to salute the fans, the theme song from the 1988 Seoul Olympics, “Hand in Hand,” boomed throughout the arena.

Even without any wins, some spectators saw the team as having scored a small diplomatic victory.

“As North and South Korean players work together in harmony, I believe this can be connected to the unification process in Korea,” said Park Sun-hwa, 30, a teacher who had taken the day off to attend the game. “Since the North Korean and South Korean people have so few chances to meet each other, this team has provided the chance for both players and spectators to meet each other.”

She continued, “We will learn about the differences in our cultures, but also we can learn how to improve our relationship.”

According to polls in South Korea, support for the unified team, which was decidedly mixed before the Games, rose over the course of the week in which the women played together.

“They lost the games, but I think what we need to focus on is the small steps of peacemaking and the mutual understanding of each other,” said Jay Song, a senior lecturer at the Asia Institute of the University of Melbourne in Australia.

Some of the players expressed that optimism.

“Over all, all of the North Korean athletes are bright and innocent, so the whole atmosphere among us is cheerful,” Han said after Tuesday’s game. “I can’t name one or two with whom I made friends, but we all get along.”