S. Korea set to participate in Pyongyang table tennis tournaments

Lim Jong-hoon, left, and Shin Yu-bin, second from right, who won bronze in mixed doubles table tennis at the 2024 Paris Olympics, take a selfie with the North Korean and Chinese teams at Arena Paris in France on July 30. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

By KTimes

• Published Oct 28, 2024 12:02 PM KST
• Updated Oct 28, 2024 5:08 PM KST

The South Korean government and the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTTA) are preparing to send athletes to international table tennis tournaments in Pyongyang, with North Korea recently confirmed as the host city.

The government and the KTTA favor the athlete's participation over a boycott of the 2026 Asian Youth Championships and the 2028 Asian Championships, both set to take place in Pyongyang, according to officials from the government and KTTA, Sunday.

The plan could mean that in 2026, rising stars, and by 2028, prominent players like 2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Shin Yu-bin may compete in North Korea’s capital.

North Korea’s strong desire to host both tournaments was cemented at the Asia Table Tennis Union (ATTU) General Assembly in Astana, Kazakhstan, where the hosting decision was unanimously approved, alongside the election of KTTA Vice President Kim Taek-soo as ATTU first deputy president.

This initiative offers a channel for engagement amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula, following recent North Korean actions, including balloon launches with propaganda leaflets and military collaboration with Russia.

A government official familiar with the assembly process said, “It’s known that North Korea had a very strong desire to host these two tournaments. Hosting both simultaneously is unusual, and it seems to be aimed at showcasing the success of their mixed doubles silver medal at the Paris Olympics, both domestically and internationally.”

Kim, who attended the assembly, said, “I understand that the North Korean delegation met with ATTU President Khalil Almohannadi in the hotel lobby the day before the assembly to express their intent to bid solo for hosting.”

He added, “When Khalil asked if we had any objections to the North’s hosting bid, I said, ‘Sports are sports, politics are politics,’ and that we had no reason to oppose.”

The next day, North Korea’s hosting bid and Kim’s election as ATTU first deputy president were both confirmed, creating an opportunity for South Korean athletes to visit Pyongyang during Kim’s term.

Kim clarified, “The host country must invite all ATTU member nations to these two tournaments; if they don’t, they’ll lose the hosting rights. North Korea would have been aware of these terms when they applied.”

He said that the Korean team must attend the 2026 Junior Tournament and 2028 Championships in Pyongyang to qualify for the World Championships, making participation essential.

Ping-pong diplomacy

Officials from the Ministry of Unification and North Korea experts see this development as a positive signal for inter-Korean relations.

The ministry said this initiative could serve as a bridge to ease isolation. Kim also expressed hope for “ping-pong diplomacy” on the Korean Peninsula, drawing parallels to the role table tennis played in bridging divides between the U.S. and China.

Dongguk University’s North Korean Studies Professor Kim Yong-hyun also noted that it was a favorable act toward reducing regional tension.

However, experts caution that North Korea may leverage the tournaments to promote its regime. There are concerns it might manipulate tournament rules to highlight tensions or delay public announcements to maximize impact.

Professor Kim suggested North Korea could position itself as a “normal nation” by emphasizing South Korea as merely another participant, thereby underscoring its independence while benefiting from global recognition through the tournaments.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.