hankyoreh

Hong Joon-pyo

There has been a string of sarcastic remarks about the Pyeongchang Olympics becoming the “Pyongyang Olympics” because of the unified Korean women’s hockey team and athletes from both sides marching into the games together. Both the leaders and the spokesperson of South Korea’s largest opposition party are slinging criticism as if they were calling down curses. Some members of the opposition party have crossed the line by throwing up roadblocks at a time when the Olympics needs every bit of our help.

“The Pyeongchang Olympics are being twisted into the Pyongyang Olympics through the manipulation of Kim Jong-un’s disguised peace offensive. The proponents of Juche Thought who have taken over the Blue House and the government are attempting to put the destiny of this country and its people into the hands of Kim Jong-un,” said Hong Joon-pyo, leader of the Liberty Korea Party, during his New Year’s press conference on Jan. 22. “They’re trying to dominate the regional elections so that they can pass a socialist constitution.” Such ridiculous red-baiting defies logic.

Just because North Korea sends a few dozen athletes to march into the opening and closing ceremonies with their South Korean counterparts under the Unification Flag is no reason to call this year’s games the “Pyongyang Olympics.” South Korea earned the right to host the Winter Olympics after a long struggle, and the Taegeukgi and “Aegukga” – South Korea’s national flag and anthem – will accompany South Korean athletes representing the hosting country at various events. For the duration of the Olympics and the Paralympics, from Feb. 9 until Mar. 18, the eyes of the world will be on Pyeongchang. The unified team and the joint entrance are just the icing on the cake. These attempts to present the Olympics as a communist event because of North Korea’s participation could make us an international laughingstock.

Despite these circumstances, conservatives in the opposition parties are dishing out poisonous insults that are closer to curses. Liberty Korea Party Floor Leader Kim Sung-tae said “they’re throwing away Korea and the national anthem and telling us to go over Arirang Pass into the kingdom of Joseon,” while the party’s senior spokesperson Jang Je-won said “handing over the Pyeongchang Olympics and announcing the Pyongyang Olympics is like giving a mere colonel the devotion owed to a queen.” Party lawmaker Na Kyung-won even sent the International Olympic Committee (IOC) a letter expressing her opposition to the unified team. Dragging this controversy onto the international stage is a disgrace for the nation. They’ve all gone too far.

leader of the minority opposition Liberty Korea Party

It’s reasonable for the South Korean government to take steps to facilitate the on-site work by the preliminary review team under Hyon Song-wol, which is currently visiting South Korea. The real problem is the yellow press’s focus on Hyon’s wardrobe and appearance. They will take any excuse to publish a story bashing North Korea. It’s time that this rollercoaster rolled to a stop. It’s difficult enough for South and North Korea to maintain balance as they make preparations while displaying mutual respect.

“Let us come together to protect and expand [inter-Korean] dialogue, just as we would protect the flame of a candle from the wind,” South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on Jan. 22. “We cannot optimistically assume that the current mood for dialogue will last forever. We need the wisdom and effort to preserve this miraculous opportunity for dialogue even after the Pyeongchang Olympics.”

What this means is that the unified team and the joint entrance aren’t about handing the Olympics over to North Korea; rather, they are a crucial effort to sustain the mood for talks about denuclearization even after the Olympics. The unified team is a desperate attempt to open the door to peace, whatever that takes. We hope that the Liberty Korea Party and others like it will stop their childish attempts to obstruct the Peace Olympics.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]