INTERVIEW Boxer's epic win lays groundwork for Korea-Panama ties
Hong Soo-hwan, right, the former WBA super bantamweight champion, poses with Hector Carrasquilla, a boxer-turned-politician of Panama, at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 26, 2017. Carrasquilla visited Korea for the event to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their duel held in Panama in 1977. Yonhap
In the 1970s, Korea was a struggling nation, still grappling with the aftermath of the Korean War that had ravaged the country from 1950 to 1953. Faced with widespread poverty, the government was fervently pursuing a strategy of "export-led economic growth" in an effort to industrialize and transform the economy.
For ordinary Koreans, opportunities to learn about the world beyond their borders were extremely limited. Foreign travel was both restricted and rare, requiring government permits for those who wished to visit other countries. Television sets, a luxury item at the time, were beyond the financial reach of most Korean families and thus not a common source of information. As a result of these constraints on their access to external information, many Koreans remained relatively unaware of small, distant countries like Panama.
During that era of information scarcity, boxing legend Hong Soo-hwan played a unique and pivotal role in introducing the Korean public to Panama and its people, providing them with a rare glimpse into the distant land they knew little about.
His dramatic victory over Panama's rising boxer Héctor Carrasquilla in the bout for the World Boxing Association (WBA) super bantamweight title marked a milestone event that sparked a newfound awareness and interest in Panama among Koreans.
In 1977, the 27-year-old Korean boxer made a grueling journey to Panama for a match that would become one of the greatest sports moments in Korean history. The trip was an arduous and time-consuming endeavor, as there were (and still are) no direct flights between Korea and Panama.
He recounted that his journey to Panama turned into an unintended "world tour," as he had to change flights in several global cities, including Tokyo, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York, and Rio de Janeiro, before finally reaching his destination. The one-way trip took 10 days.
At just 17 years old, Carrasquilla was a fearless and formidable boxer, aptly nicknamed the "Devil from Hell." With a record of 11 consecutive knockouts, he was a fierce opponent for Hong in their highly anticipated match. The first round was relatively uneventful, but in the second round, Carrasquilla unleashed a relentless barrage of punches, knocking Hong down four times. Despite these setbacks, Hong managed to rise each time and continued to fight.
In a stunning display of resilience, Hong made a miraculous comeback in the third round, delivering a decisive knockout that left Carrasquilla unable to get up. With this victory, Hong clinched the WBA super bantamweight title, making history as the first Korean boxer to hold world championship titles in two different weight classes — the WBA and The Ring bantamweight titles in 1974 and the WBA super bantamweight title in 1977.
His relentless perseverance and dramatic victory generated a tremendous buzz. The way he rose from four knockdowns in the previous round to deliver a knockout blow in the third round was so extraordinary that many people regarded the outcome as being legendary rather than just a victory.
Hong rose to stardom, becoming a household name and receiving a rock-star welcome back home. Wearing a flower garland around his neck, he and his mother and older brother were honored with a jubilant vehicle parade from Gimpo International Airport to City Hall in the heart of Seoul.
Boxer Hong Soo-hwan, right, looks at his competitor Hector Carrasquilla after knocking out the Panamanian boxer during their bout held in November 1977. Korea Times file
Now 74 years old, Hong vividly remembers the greatest moment of his life. "Carrasquilla and I were fierce competitors at the time, but we became friends afterward, and our friendship has lasted for the past five decades," he told The Korea Times in an interview.
Since their 1977 duel, the two former boxers have led very different lives. After retiring from the sport, Carrasquilla transitioned into a political career, starting as a lawmaker before being elected and serving as the mayor of San Miguelito.
In contrast, Hong has remained connected to the boxing industry throughout his life. After retiring from the sport, he briefly worked as a sports commentator. However, with the sharp decline in boxing’s popularity since the 1990s — despite its peak in the 1970s and 1980s — Hong's career as a commentator was short-lived. Since then, he has made a living as a public speaker.
He is a talented speaker and has spent the past two decades delivering lectures at events hosted by over 1,000 public firms and private companies, both large and small. In those engagements, he shares personal anecdotes and the lessons he learned during the peak of his boxing career as well as his life after retirement.
Despite their contrasting post-retirement lives, Hong and Carrasquilla managed to sustain their long-distance friendship through mutual efforts to visit each other’s countries and meet in person. Since their 1977 bout, Hong visited Panama three more times — in 1999, 2000, and earlier this year. In 2016, Carrasquilla, then a member of Panama's Congress, traveled to Korea at the invitation of the Korea Foundation.
Calling each other "brother" despite their 10-year age difference — Hong being the elder — the two former boxers embraced and exchanged heartfelt compliments during their emotional reunion in Seoul. Carrasquilla admitted that Hong was stronger than him, recalling how the Korean boxer knocked him out with just one punch, leaving him unable to move. Hong, in turn, reminded Carrasquilla that he was actually behind on the scorecards 1-to-4 before delivering the knockout blow. The following year, Carrasquilla visited Korea again to participate in the commemoration of the 40th anniversary of their legendary match.
Hong Soo-hwan, second from right, poses with Panama's President Jose Raul Mulino, second from left, after the Panamanian leader's inauguration on July 1. Hong was tapped by President Yoon Suk Yeol as special emissary to Panama for the event. First from left are Korea's Land Minister Park Sang-woo, President Mulino, his wife Marisel Cohen de Mulino, Hong and Korean Ambassador to Panama Jeong Jin-kyu. Courtesy of Hong Soo-hwan
Hong’s unique bond with Panama has made him a symbolic figure in Korea-Panama relations. In late June, he received a phone call from an unnamed government official informing him that he had been chosen as President Yoon Suk Yeol’s special emissary to attend the inauguration ceremony of Panama’s new President José Raúl Mulino. The official asked if Hong would be interested in accepting this distinguished offer.
He immediately accepted it, feeling deeply honored to take on the role as a civilian diplomat. Hong joined the Korean delegation led by Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Minister Park Sang-woo and attended Mulino’s inauguration on July 1. Following the ceremony, Hong and Park had the opportunity to meet the new Panamanian leader in person during a courtesy visit.
"I could feel a strong sense of hope and expectation in Panama. People there were excited about President Mulino, and they were hopeful that their economy would thrive under his leadership," he said.
Hong saw many opportunities to expand the relationship between Korea and Panama.
"I discovered that President Mulino is a boxing enthusiast and has a close bond with Panama’s legendary boxer, Roberto Durán," he said.
Duran, 73, is a Panamanian boxer who competed from 1968 to 2001. He earned the nickname "Manos de Piedra" (Hands of Stone) for his formidable punching power and is considered one of the greatest boxers of all time.
Hong hoped his decades-long friendship with Carrasquilla and Mulino's deep understanding of boxing could help lift the two countries' relations to the next level.
"I feel that Korea and Panama are close," he said. "As a boxer, I don't have a deep understanding of Korea’s diplomatic relations, but I sensed that there will be more opportunities for human-to-human exchanges in sports and culture with the new president taking office in Panama, especially since he has a deep appreciation for boxing," he said.
Korea’s bilateral relations with Panama have been diversifying since the two countries established diplomatic ties in 1962. In 2018, Korea signed a free trade agreement with five Latin American countries, including Panama, which took effect in 2021. Today, about 20 Korean companies are actively doing business in Central America, and in 2020, Hyundai E&C secured a bid to construct Panama Metro Line 3, marking the Korean company's first railway project in Latin America. This significant infrastructure project is currently underway.
Hong Soo-hwan / Yonhap