PyeongChang and Nagano
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By Kim Ji-myung
I am not an expert in implementing a world-class sports event or in the budgeting of big events like the Olympics or the World Cup. Somehow, I was born ignorant in managing money and sports ― watching and doing.
But in the winter of 1998, I knew something was gravely wrong with the Nagano Winter Olympics. It seemed that all potentially needed personnel had been brought to this small, 300,000-resident mountain village for the event.
The typical perfectionism of the Japanese made the event something like an extravagant party of 19th century Europe. Many beautiful pots of flowers lined the way to the temporary toilet facilities, reminding people of the delicate Japanese sense of organization as well as the overdone preparation.
I stayed the whole time in the small hot-spring town, heading a Korean-language interpretation team. There was nothing to do for us as the Korean team had no need of press conferences or interviews until the last days of the event.
At that time, not only to Korea but to most Asian nations, winter sports competitions such as skiing, luge and sledging were too alien to care about. But Japan was an exception, with some European-like athletes among the Asians, as it aspired to be successful.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime blessing to enjoy the many dramatic moments of the competition, staged in a serene winter landscape over a whole month. But I feel sorry that it is now remembered as the worst Olympic financial debacle, next to Sochi 2014, recording an $11 billion deficit.
PyeongChang!
The Winter Games will be held in this mountainous area in four years. In many aspects the area resembles Nagano. But the village of PyeongChang is a rootless town compared with Nagano, with its old central temple and aged houses, hotels, restaurants and traditional stores developed over many centuries.
Some Western press now say that only China, Korea and Japan are still interested in hosting Olympic events despite the obvious enormous financial deficits. A recent analysis warns the International Olympic Committee of a potential situation in which no country bids for the Games because of the IOC’s burdensome demands.
Korea, or the Gangwon Province to be more accurate, challenged three times to get sponsorship for the Winter Olympic Games. And now we hear all sorts of talk about the “curse” of the games: What to do about the outsized deficits, and what to do with the gigantic, useless facilities when spectators and athletes are gone after the two weeks of the Games.
Not many remember the rosy outlook for the PyeongChang Olympics, the 20 trillion won of economic spinoffs, the 230,000 new jobs, the 200,000 overseas tourists.
Pessimism has been aggravated by the recent Incheon Asian Games. Despite remarkable results, including 14 world records, dramatic ball-game scenes and participation by ranking North Korean dignitaries in the closing ceremony, the financial report was devastating.
But, as usual, I turn from the immediate fiduciary calculation to longer-term intangible accounting. As a witness to the Nagano Winter Olympic Games in 1998, let me point out the many changes that have happened during the past two decades.
Had there been a figure like Kim Yu-na in Nagano in 1998, I would have been very busy interpreting during the whole period Feb. 7-22, 1998. But short track was the only category in which Korea had any hope of winning a medal.
The first Winter Games in which a South Korean team participated was the fifth Winter Olympics in 1948. A handful of athletes continued to be in the Games up until the 15th Games in Canada in 1988. A miracle occurred in 1992, when Korea ranked 10th among the 64 participating countries, with two golds, a silver and a bronze.
But Korean athletes were limited to short-track singles and relays. Koreans accepted the notion that maybe figure skating and skiing were not suitable for the build of the people, not to mention the lack of tradition in the culture.
Kim Yu-na smashed away all these self-imposed notions by winning gold in the figure skating singles in the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, Korea's first gold in a non-track category.
As history has come to show, Korea is mysteriously strong and talented in turning challenges into opportunities (with my fingers crossed). Some 43 academic papers have been written on “how to make the PyeongChang Winter Olympics a success” and “how to utilize the facilities after 2018.”
I hear that some people advocate building a Korean-style “hanok pavilion” for the non-medalists in PyeongChang, not only to show off traditional Korean culture but to demonstrate the traditional Korean spirit of embracing those who do not win.
Signals of hope vibrate with the recent news that Samsung has signed a sponsorship agreement with the PyeongChang Organizing Committee. I don’t know exactly how wisely the Games can be managed with all the lessons learned from previous winter Olympics and Asian Games. But let me hope that it is here for us to manage ― a clear chance to show our wisdom and will.
The writer is the chairwoman of the Korea Heritage Education Institute (K*Heritage). Her email address is Heritagekorea21@gmail.com.