Seoul selected as S. Korean city to co-host 2032 Olympics with North Korea’s Pyongyang

Seoul has been selected as South Korea’s candidate city to bid for the 2032 Summer Olympics jointly with North Korea. On the afternoon of Feb. 11, the city of Seoul announced that it had been selected at a general meeting of Korean Sport and Olympic Committee (KSOC) representatives at the Jincheon National Training Center in North Chungcheong Province as the South Korean city that will bid for the 35th Summer Olympics in 2032. Seoul had been in competition with Busan, but persuaded the representatives to favor it based on its symbolism as South Korea’s leading city, the competitiveness of its urban infrastructure, and its international capacity. READ MORE

Inter-Korean Sports Cooperation Bear Results

South and North Korea agree to integrate respective branches of Taekwondo (natural thing to do as taekwondo is a universal Korean tradition that came way before the division of Korea) -- another fruit of inter-Korean rapprochement, along with the proposal for a joint bid for the 2032 Olympics.
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The Two Sides of Korea March Again at the Olympics

The two Korean teams (South and North Korea) marched together side by side, under one symbolic flag (unifed Korea) at the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in South Korea on February 9, 2018. The last time that the joint entry at the Olympics opening ceremony occurred was thirteen years ago, during the "sunshine policy" period of inter-Korean thaw and cooperation.

Moreover, North Korea seem to have swallowed its pride and is attending the games held in its arch-rival South Korea, together with unprecedented attendance of high-level government/party officials (including nominal head of state Kim Yong-nam and Kim Jong-un's sister Kim Yo-jong) -- perhaps suggesting its flexibility and willingness to resume negotiations for inter-Korean rapproachement. The question is, are Washington and Tokyo willing to seize this apt opportunity to pursue a path of negotiated peace settlement in the Korean Peninsula?

The Controversy Over North Korean Flag at the Asian Games in South Korea

North Korea has sent its national team to Incheon, South Korea to participate in the 17th Asian Games.

South Korea is the host to this year’s event, but due to its domestic security laws regarding North Korea, controversies arose already. First, South Korean government has forbidden raising of the flags of participating nations of the games in order to singularly forbid North Korean flag from being seen outside the games’ official site – which is unprecedented measure and may go against the policies of the games. North Korean players may hoist their flag in the players’ housing area, but if South Koreans displayed the North Korean flag outside the site, they will be prosecuted under the draconian National Security Law. Second, North Korean journalists who accompanied the team were unable to send reports home because South Korean authorities block North Korean Internet sites.

 With these residues of inter-Korea confrontation aside, Koreans will likely cheer both teams, and hopefully conciliatory mood will prevail and help towards warming of inter-Korea relations.

In another incident, FIFA authorities banned the displaying of "One Korea" flag by the spectators at the U20 Women's World Cup games, despite the fact that the flag that contains the image of the Korean Peninsula, symbolizing the yearning for Korean reunification, has been displayed widely at international sports events involving both Korean teams, including the Olympics, and at official inter-Korea meetings and functions. FIFA even sanctioned the North Korean soccer federation regarding the display of the flag, even though Korean Canadian and Korean American fans displayed the flag at the games independently.

Dennis Rodman in Pyongyang

Who would have thought -- North Korean leader Kim Jong Un laughing side-by-side with Dennis Rodman of the Chicago Bulls fame, at a friendly basketball match in Pyongyang. Rodman is travelling in North Korea with members of the Harlem Globetrotters and a US cable news team. And one of the first tweets coming out of North Korea now that North Korean authorities have allowed the use of smartphones by foreigners, with internet access:  "Um ... so Kim Jong Un just got the [cable news team] crew wasted ... no really, that happened" came out of the reception given by Kim to American visitors.  Fun respites amidst war games and counter threats between the U.S. and North Korea -- sort of reminds of the song by the group War, "Why Can't We Be Friends?"

Taekwondo Bridges North Korea and the U.S.

At a time of heightened tension between North Korea and the U.S., a taekwondo delegation from North Korea toured the U.S. East Coast (Boston, New York, Delaware) recently with warm welcome from American audiences. This is second taekwondo tour; such tours help bridge the gap of misunderstanding between North Korea and the U.S. Coul such good will spill over to the political relations between the two countries?

South Korea Wins First FIFA World Cup Trophy (U17 Women's Soccer)

The South Korean U17 women's soccer team clinched South Korea's first-ever FIFA World Cup trophy as it defeated the Japanese team in the 2010 final game at Trinidad and Tobago. The North Korean team took the fourth place spot.

Both North and South Korean women's teams are doing well in the international stage. North Korea won the 2006 U-20 Womens' World Cup and 2008 U-17 Women's World Cup. South Korea came third on the 2010 U-20 Cup and now is the winner of the 2010 U-17 Cup.

Both Korea Teams at FIFA Women's U17 World Cup Semifinals

Another milestone for Korean soccer teams (South and North) at FIFA World Cups: both teams will be playing in the quarterfinals of the Women's U17 tournament at Trinidad and Tobago on Sept. 21. The North Korean team [photo] is the defending champion of the U17 Cup. A possible final match between the two Korean teams would be a historic event, as it may boost hopes for rekindling of inter-Korea relations.

English Women's Soccer Team Tours North Korea

While North Korea is portrayed as isolatd from the West, an English women's soccer team is touring North Korea as part of sports and cultural exchange.

Middlesbrough Football Club (MFC) women's team (photo: manager Marrie Wieczorek) has been invited by the British Embassy in Pyongyang in recognition of the strong bonds Middlesbrough has shared with North Korea since the 1966 World Cup in England when the townsfolks became fans of the North Korean team during the team's remarkable feat at the games. The 1966 North Korean team paid a return visit to Middlesbrough in October 2002.

Nick Bonner, who made a documentary The Game of their Lives about the 1966 World Cup team with his business partner Dan Gordon, and who helped arrange the women team's visit to North Korea, said: “There is no doubt about it that [North Koreans] came to England in 1966 as the enemy, as many English people had fought in the Korean War, but the people of [Middlesbrough] adopted them as their team and they have never forgotten that.”

Such people-to-people exchanges can help bring reconciliation between former enemies.

Korea Teams at the World Cup

For the first time, both South and North Korean teams are playing in the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. This is South Korea's seventh World Cup foray, and the second one for North Korea since the remarkable run at the 1966 tournament in England. The two teams are playing well, as South Korean team beat Greece 2-0 and North Korea played a close game with Brazil with 2-1 loss. Normally, South Korea would also be cheering for North Korean team as it did before in international sporting events, but recent chill in inter-Korean relations in the aftermath of the Cheonan ship sinking incident has dampened the spirit.

Jung Dae-sae (photo above in red jersey), a player in the North Korean team is changing that. Jung's story is extraordinary. He was born in Japan, has South Korean citizenship, and he plays with North Korea's national team. Though Jung gained South Korean citizenship via his parents, he learned soccer at pro-North Korean school in Japan and fulfilled his dream of playing in North Korea's national team. His brother plays professional soccer in South Korea. Jung's complicated family and personal story reflects the pain of the divided Korea. While seeing Jung cry with emotions at the start of the game with Brazil, Koreans -- both in the South and overseas -- felt the yearning for Korean reunification.

"Vancouver Olympic Games usher in welcome cultural changes in S.Korea"

No doubt, South Korea surprised the world with strong performances at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. Who would have foreseen few years ago that a Korean skater would win a gold medal in ladies' figure skating competition? Perhaps these are signs of South Korea's status as an economic powerhouse that can provide advanced training and bountiful resources for individual athletes.

Korea is a very competitive society where the desire of being the number one in a particular field is still prevalent, from schools to competitions. And Koreans tend to be overtly preoccupied with national prestige whenever Korean athletes compete in international sporting events, with less focus on the merits of individual efforts regardless of the results. This sentiment may be changing, as a Korean observer notes a change in cultural outlook of Korean fans on sports competitors.

Team Korea Doing Well in the Winter Olympics

South Korea has been doing well in international sporting competitions lately, venturing out of its traditional strongholds such as archery, table tennis and taekwondo. In the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, South Korean competitors won the first set of medals outside the short track skating category -- in long track speed skating (the photo shows Lee Sang-hwa winning a gold in women's 500m). And Kim Yu-na is widely expected to win a gold medal in the ladies' figure skating competition. With such strong performances at the recent winter Olympics, South Korea may be in a better position to gain hosting right for future winter Olympics (overcoming failures in several recent attempts).

And of course, most Koreans are imbibed with the contentious drama with the American skater Apolo Ohno. See a column in the GlobalPost: US speedskater Ohno locks horns with Korea.

Both Korean Teams To Face Tough Group Stage Games in 2010 World Cup

Koreans were thrilled that both sides of Korea qualified (the first time that both teams qualified together) for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. [Top photo shows the South Korean team and the bottom photo shows the North Korean team. (Yonhap News)] Now it looks like both teams will face strong teams in the group stages. North Korea was placed in a "Group of Death," with Brazil, Ivory Coast, and, ironically with, Portugal -- the team that eliminated North Korea in the 1966 World Cup quarterfinal game. South Korea goes against strong teams Argentina, Nigeria and Greece.

The Group Draw results:
GROUP A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
GROUP B: Argentina, Nigeria, South Korea, Greece
GROUP C: England, United States, Algeria, Slovenia
GROUP D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana
GROUP E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
GROUP F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
GROUP G: Brazil, North Korea, Ivory Coast, Portugal
GROUP H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile

Both Korean Teams Headed to the World Cup 2010

Followup to: Both Korean Soccer Teams Within Reach of the World Cup

In a respite from tensions in the Korean Peninsula, both South and North Korean national soccer teams have advanced to the World Cup 2010 in South Africa -- the first time that both Korean teams have qualified to the final rounds together. It will be eighth qualification for the South Korean team (left photo with star player Park Ji-sung), and second for the North Korean team (right photo), after its astonishing feat in the 1966 London games. Already, there are speculations that North Korea and the U.S. teams may be placed in the same group.

South and North Korea Play Soccer Amidst Tension in Korean Peninsula

Follow-up to: Both Korean Soccer Teams Within Reach of the World Cup

The much-anticipated inter-Korea soccer match in Seoul today ended with the South Korean team (red uniform)'s 1-0 victory over the North Korean team (white uniform, photo from OhMyNews). South Korea broke the series of tie matches (three) with North Korea in the qualifying rounds for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Both teams are positioned well in their group standings and have good chances of qualifying for the World Cup.

The game was played amidst heightened tension in the Korean Peninsula, with deteriorating inter-Korea relations (near-total cessation of inter-Korea exchanges and ventures), the planned rocket launch by North Korea, and the detention of two U.S. journalists in North Korea for illegal entry. The spring is in the air, all parties concerned should refrain from drastic measures or counter-measures and aim for mutually-satisfactory resolutions towards reduction of tensions.

Korea and Japan in the World Baseball Classic Final

Team Korea and Team Japan played magnificently for the championship title of the World Baseball Classic in Los Angeles yesterday. It was a classic baseball game that ended after cliffhanger late innings. Japan reclaimed the championship, but the Korea team came in strong as a viable contender. The two perennial sports rivals played the final game in the land that created baseball. Just as American basketball teams, once invincible, lost out on their own game to European teams in international competitions, American baseball teams are losing to East Asian teams, which may not have strong homerun power but possess strong strategies, skills and teamwork, backed up by strong popular support for national teams.

South Korea has become a global sports powerhouse lately, earning championships in sports categories beyond the traditionally-dominant sports such as archery, taekwondo and table tennis to baseball, soccer, swimming, figure skating, short track, golf, etc.

Both Korean Soccer Teams Within Reach of the World Cup

Good news for Korean soccer fans -- in the south or the north, or overseas. Both national teams have good chances of advancing to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, following North Korean team's 1-0 upset win over Saudi Arabia [photo of the North Korean scorer Mun In Guk, from goal.com] and South Korea's 1-1 tie with Iran. These results put South Korea on top and North Korea on second in the qualifying round group in Asia, which will let both teams from Korea advance to the World Cup if they maintain their current standings.

Historically, South Korean men's team has fared better in international games, whereas North Korean women's team has made its mark in international competitions. The South Korean national team has played in the World Cup in 1954 and in every tournaments since 1986, culminating in its entry to remarkable semifinal stage in the 2002 games in Korea/Japan. The North Korean team played only once in the World Cup, in the 1966 games in England, but reached astonishingly to the quarterfinal stage by beating the favorite Italy. This feat was chronicled in the documentary The Games of Their Lives by the British filmmaker Daniel Gordon.

If both teams advance to the World Cup, it will be the first Cup where both teams from Korea will compete. In their previous qualifying match together, the two sides of Korea played to a draw. The next match together is in April 1 in Seoul. Perhaps the inter-Korea relations will have regained some normalcy by then.

American Football Star: Advocate for Multiracial Children in Korea

Among Pittsburgh Steelers players celebrating the Super Bowl victory yesterday was Hines Ward (pictured above with multiracial children in South Korea). When Ward, whose father is an African-American and mother is a Korean, won the Super Bowl MVP in 2006, he became an instant celebrity in South Korea. Ward used his status to highlight issues facing multiracial children in Korea, who face discrimination from the Korean society.

U.S. and North Korean Women's Soccer Teams Face Again in World Cup Final

Followup to: North Korean Women Soccer Team Wins World Cup

While the U.S. and North Korea are hammering out the differences in the six-party talks, the women's soccer teams are fighting out for the top prize in the world. In less than three weeks, the teams from the two countries faced each other again for the FIFA World Cup finals, this time for the U-20 championship in Santiago, Chile. The U-17 championship was won by the North Korean team on Nov. 16, and the U-20 tournament was won by the U.S. team, defeating the defending North Korean team, on Dec. 8. Both countries came out as winners -- seems that is fair.

North Korean Women Soccer Team Wins World Cup

South Korean men's national soccer team has been making headlines in international soccer scene, but on women's competitions, it is North Korean team that has been a dominant player. North Korean women's team won the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup, played in New Zealand on Nov. 16, defeating the favored U.S. team.

North Korean women's team also won the 2006 FIFA U-20 World Cup, as well as finishing as a quarter-finalist in the 2007 Women's World Cup in China. North Korean and U.S. women's soccer teams probably had the most interaction between the two countries in international sporting events.