[Reporter’s notebook] How sports can ease inter-Korean tensions

Posted on : 2017-06-27 17:36 KST Modified on : 2017-06-27 17:36 KST
But plenty of hurdles remain before South and North Korea can cooperate for next year’s Pyeongchang Olympics
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean International Olympic Committee member Chang Ung
President Moon Jae-in shakes hands with North Korean International Olympic Committee member Chang Ung

The image of President Moon Jae-in beaming and shaking hands with North Korean International Olympic Committee (IOC) member Chang Ung at the World Taekwondo Championships opening ceremony on June 24 was a symbolic moment for the way sports can ease inter-Korean relations.

President Moon presented the South Korea’s official position in favor of athletic exchanges with North Korea. This includes proactive proposals to North Korea such as fielding a unified women’s ice hockey team at next February’s Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, relaying the Olympic Torch in North Korea, and having the South and North Korean athletes enter together.

The new administration’s efforts to relax tensions are being welcomed by a public anxious over the way inter-Korean conflicts have intensified under past conservative administrations. The IOC and world federations for different sports groups are also fundamentally focused on the Pyeongchang Olympics. From the IOC’s standpoint, the Pyeongchang Olympics could go down with a noteworthy legacy if it becomes an avenue for exchange to increase, leading to regional peace.

But the details paint a less optimistic picture. The only event where North Korea is capable of qualifying is in pairs figure skating, which means a joint entrance would not make much of a visual impact. Inter-Korean athletic talks would have to be held to provide the fast instruction that would allow promising North Korean prospects with weaker short track capabilities to rack up enough points to quality, or to coordinate on the details for a unified women’s ice hockey team. But the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, which would be responsible for the negotiations, currently lacks a blueprint for inter-Korean athletic exchange.

The unified women‘s ice hockey team issue is a highly complex one. Since the North Korean athletes are less proficient, the team entry of 23 players could be expanded to 25-26 with the addition of one or two of the North’s better players. But even the IOC and International Ice Hockey Federation would be unable to increase the match entry, or the 22 players who actually take the bench and play. Since the event is one in which all athletes participate, having two to three extra players solely on the unified Korean team would be unfair.

In team events, teamwork is important. So is camp training to practice tactics. Athletes need to eat together, talk, sleep in the same place, and break down boundaries. This would require at least a few months together. Only then could the match generate the moving drama of South and North Korean sisters truly embodying the unified team spirit on the Olympic stage.

A Pyeongchang Olympics event with North Korea’s participation would have undeniable future value. It’s understandable that the new administration would commit so much effort it. But the Korea Ice Hockey Association claims it has not been contacted in any way by the administration in connection with a unified team. It’s a situation that leaves the association, the coaching staff, and the athletes who will actually be competing in the Olympics feeling cut out of the loop. The administration should also be aware that the hockey team’s coach is a Canadian who may emphasize team atmosphere over Seoul’s political logic.

Senior government officials should visit the national ice hockey team right away and meet the athletes. They should hear their stories, recognize them as the stars of this particular show, and explain the government’s position. If sports are to be harnessed as a political force, we first need the hearts and minds of the players and coaching staff. Society and circumstances have changed since the last the last unified Korean team was fielded.

By Kim Chang-keum, staff reporter

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

 

 

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