North Korean Media Accounts of the Olympic and Asian Games: The Fatherland's Friends and Foes

Abstract

Prior to the 1988 Seoul Olympics, ideological tensions and conflicts frequently overshadowed international sports events as, for example, both South Korea (ROK) and North Korea (DPRK) tried to exploit these occasions to prove the superiority of their political systems and beliefs. South Korea was originally awarded the right to host the 6th Asian Games in 1970. However, for a number of reasons, including security threats from North Korea, the Games were moved to Thailand. Eventually, the DPRK did not participate in this event. Nor did the DPRK attend the 1988 Summer Olympics hosted by South Korea. This has changed considerably over the last two decades. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, both Koreas use the Olympic and Asian Games as a global stage to celebrate national unity, keep the reunification issue in the public domain and treat each other with respect, dignity and appreciation. Their joint appearances as one team marching behind the reunification flag held by one athlete from the North and one from the South have become impressive examples of the power of sport to symbolically unite divided nations and to promote a reconciliatory spirit – albeit only temporarily. The context of the Olympic and Asian Games has also provided both countries with frequent opportunities to pursue foreign policy objectives, to engage in a political dialogue and to build bridges. This paper focuses on North Korean media accounts that deal with the complex relationship with its South Korean compatriots in the context of both the Olympic and Asian Games. Furthermore, it touches on the DPRK's relationship with its archenemy Japan. The paper draws extensively on publications by the state-controlled Korean Central News Agency, as well as other official sources, in order to develop an empathetic understanding of public discourses in one of the least understood and enigmatic countries in the world.