INTER-KOREAN SPORTS DIPLOMACY AS A TOOL OF POLITICAL RAPPROCHEMENT

Abstract

The aim of the article is to investigate the issue of sports diplomacy directed at political rapprochement between states in conflict, by the example of relations between North and South Korea. The research is an empirical case study and its objective is either to propose generalizations on the issue of sports diplomacy, and to find characteristics concerning the inter-Korean sports diplomacy. An attempt to test a hypothesis stating that sport can be regarded as a field that allows representatives of hostile countries to engage in a dialogue even if it would not be possible in other fields will be made. The research has proved the mentioned hypothesis to be plausible. It has been observed, that inter-Korean positive sports diplomacy has been conducted with the use of a number of methods, such as sports exchanges, negotiations concerning sports cooperation including joint participation in sports events and the use of sports events as a circumstance for arranging political talks, what appears to be distinctive for the case. Fluctuations of the intensity of sports cooperation depending on current political relations have also been observed, but on the other hand on some occasions sport allowed the two parties to foster political rapprochement. The effectiveness of sports diplomacy between North and South Korea was therefore evaluated as limited, but identifiable.