Tracing Two South Korean Olympic Pathways: Symbols, Conflicts, and Integration through Global Sports Events

Abstract

Using symbolic politics theory, this study traces the changing political situation in Korea and its effects on the symbolic politics of the two Olympic games – held in Seoul in 1988 and PyeongChang in 2018 – from a historical perspective. It evaluates how different South Korean governments used the two Olympics as political tools. The data from in-depth interviews conducted with 10 participants and literature was quantitatively analysed. The results confirm that the symbolism of the Olympics has changed since the 1980s. In the past, the South Korean military regime promoted nationalism, nationalist ideology, and policies that emphasised individual sacrifice in the name of national interests. Therefore, the military regime used the symbolism of the 1988 Olympics politically to stabilize chaotic domestic sentiment and strengthen national unity, which was a calculated decision. In 2018, the liberal Korean government attempted to use the Olympics to secure political legitimacy. However, with the consolidation of democracy after the end of the military regime, resistance mounted against this brand of politics and a new moral system was established centred on fairness, diversity, and individual autonomy. South Koreans’ perceptions of unification changed over time, which this resistance to the government’s utilisation of symbolism during the 2018 Olympics.