Kim Yu-na |
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
Golden girl Kim Yu-na has drawn international media frenzy after becoming the first South Korean figure skater to win the gold medal with a new Olympic record.
Some foreign news outlets have shed light on the alleged bad blood between Koreans and Japanese based on Japan's annexation of Korea a century ago to interpret why Koreans were so attached to the 19-year-old. They said Koreans were overjoyed because Kim outperformed her Japanese rival, Mao Asada.
But evidence supports the claim that the "Yu-na fever" has little to do with Koreans' deep-seated nationalistic antagonism against Japan. Some evidence indicates that Korea-Japan relations are improving.
Politically, the two governments are still involved in territorial disputes, but culture has played a role in bridging the gap.
Kim's winning of the Olympic gold medal came just a few days before the nation celebrated the 91st anniversary of the March 1 Independence Movement in 1919.
A group of 33 intellectuals, religious leaders and independent activists spearheaded the peaceful independence movement against Japan.
This year also marks the 100th anniversary of the Japanese annexation of Korea. Japan's colonial rule continued until 1945.
The historical background appeared to provide some foreign journalists with a clue to why Koreans are so attached to Kim. Koreans were thrilled about her triumph because she beat the Japanese, these reports said.
What's really happening inside Korea betrays the media report.
Japanese skater Asada received a warm welcome from home fans when she became champion at the 2010 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships held in Jeonju, South Korea.
Korean fans in the stadium were excited and applauded when Asada used the music of local girl group the Brown Eyed Girls during the gala show after winning the competition.
A public opinion survey conducted last year by the Seoul-based Northeast Asian History Foundation found that Koreans' attitude toward Japan and its people has changed.
About 44 percent of respondents expressed optimistic views about the prospects of Korea-Japan relations in the future, up 22.3 percent from a survey a year ago.
Young Koreans in their 20s and 30s, in particular, answered that not only is Japan close to Korea in terms of geographical location but also they feel an intimacy with the Japanese, the survey showed.
The survey also found more Japanese answered that the Tokyo government should officially offer an apology to Korea for "comfort women," sex slaves for Japanese soldiers during World War II, a shift from a survey result a year ago where 54 percent of Japanese said the government didn't need to.
The foundation conducted the survey on 527 Seoulites and 500 people living in Tokyo. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percent.
Experts say culture has brought the two nations together and played a role in facilitating the trend of Korea-Japan relations in a positive manner.
Koreans watch dramas and animation from Japan through cable television networks, while Japanese fans love Korean actors, actresses and pop idols.
Experts say the content products contributed to people in the two nations having a deeper understanding of their counterpart's culture, shaping positive views about them.
As for the sweeping Yu-na fever here, Koreans are overjoyed at her winning the Olympic gold medal not because she outperformed her Japanese rival, but because the skater prodigy inspires a "can-do" sprit.
Korean figure skaters first participated at the Winter Olympics in 1968 in Grenoble, France, but they were largely unnoticed because their performances were not impressive and the sport was not popular here.
Kim not only rewrote history but also gave Koreans a brief respite from which they can take a moment to forget the economic hardships facing them.
hkang@koreatimes.co.kr
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
