South Korea eyes Pyongyang tourney talks with North at Uzbek table tennis event

South Korean table tennis player Lim Jong-hoon, left, takes a selfie with North Korean and Chinese athletes after winning bronze in the mixed doubles event at Arena Paris Sud 4 during the 2024 Paris Olympics in July 2023. Korea Times photo by Seo Jae-hoon

The South Korean government and national table tennis officials are preparing for potential inter-Korean talks later this month in Uzbekistan, aiming to discuss participation in an international table tennis tournament scheduled for Pyongyang next year.

The diplomatic overture could serve as a symbolic first step in President Lee Jae Myung’s pledge to restore dialogue channels with North Korea.

The Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) is hosting the 2025 Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships in Tashkent from June 29 to July 4. The event will bring together delegates from more than 40 member nations, including both Koreas, to begin formal discussions on attending the Pyongyang-hosted tournaments set in June 2025 for the junior division and 2028 for the senior division.

Kim Taek-soo, ATTU senior vice president, told the Hankook Ilbo on Tuesday that if discussions don't happen at this month’s Uzbekistan event, formal talks among member nations, including South and North Korea, are expected by mid-October at the ATTU general assembly in India.

“We understand that the Korea Table Tennis Association (KTTA), government and other relevant agencies are already considering travel to Pyongyang to lay the groundwork for participation in next year’s junior event and the senior tournament in 2028,” Kim said.

According to officials, the Unification Ministry recently requested athlete data from the KTTA, a move seen as part of quiet preparations for possible contact with North Korean counterparts.

A ministry official said internal discussions are underway. “With a new administration now in place, government-wide reviews are being conducted in line with President Lee’s North Korea policy pledges.”

During his campaign, Lee vowed to reopen channels with Pyongyang and promote peace on the Korean Peninsula through sustained dialogue and cooperation.

Officials say the ministry’s Inter-Korean Relations Management Division is reviewing relevant protocols in anticipation of increased nongovernmental exchanges through sports.

South Korea's Hyun Jung-hwa, right, and North's Ri Bun-hui compete as part of the unified Korean team at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan, where they defeated China. Yonhap

Sports as a diplomatic opening

North Korea was awarded hosting rights for the 2025 and 2028 events at the ATTU general meeting last October in Kazakhstan, a rare moment of unity during a period of heightened political tension between the two Koreas.

South Korean delegates approved the decision with applause, and Pyongyang returned the gesture by supporting Kim Taek-soo’s appointment as vice president.

South Korean players are required to compete in the Asian Championships to remain eligible for International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) tournaments, making participation a practical necessity.

At last year’s general meeting, ATTU President Khalil Al-Mohannadi is said to have met with both Korean delegations to assess the feasibility of hosting in Pyongyang.

“Politics is politics, and sports is sports,” Kim said. “In the past, even amid diplomatic stalemates, sports like table tennis paved the way for engagement. We hope this opportunity can become a breakthrough in the current freeze.”

A historic example was the formation of a unified Korean team at the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Chiba, Japan, the first joint team in 46 years. That success was preceded by sports diplomacy that began in 1989.

More recently, North and South Korean athletes were seen taking selfies together during the Paris Olympic medal ceremony last year, reigniting hopes for renewed camaraderie.

Former champion and KTTA vice president Hyun Jung-hwa, who played on the 1991 unified team, expressed support. “North Korean players are very talented, but they’ve had limited opportunities to compete internationally,” she said. “With South Korea also facing a shrinking elite player base, regular exchanges would benefit both sides.”

A jacket worn by a member of the unified Korean women’s ice hockey team features a Korean Peninsula flag with Ulleungdo and Dokdo, as the team leaves the Olympic Village in Gangneung, Gangwon Province, in February 2018. Yonhap

A new approach under Lee Jae Myung

With Lee is now in office, sports diplomacy is expected to play a central role in his strategy toward North Korea. His administration has signaled interest in restoring engagement, and sporting events offer a politically neutral platform.

If plans move forward, South Korean officials could visit Pyongyang as early as this fall for site inspections, a step ATTU typically takes six months prior to an event.

The return of key figures in inter-Korean dialogue from the Roh Moo-hyun era, such as National Intelligence Service nominee Lee Jong-seok and former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young, is also drawing attention. Both played major roles in shaping past inter-Korean engagement.

Chung welcomed the latest developments. “Sporting exchange, along with cultural exchange, is a crucial springboard for restarting inter-Korean dialogue.”

Lessons from the past

Still, analysts caution against repeating past mistakes, such as the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics, when a unified women’s hockey team sparked backlash after South Korean athletes lost their Olympic spots.

Observers warn that emphasizing peace and reconciliation at the expense of athletes’ rights could backfire.

Yang Moo-jin, president of the University of North Korean Studies, said that Pyongyang’s readiness to host international tournaments signals growing confidence in its regime stability.

“While a drastic shift in North Korea’s stance just because of a new South Korean government is unlikely, we should seek a breakthrough through mutual respect and pragmatic dialogue,” he said.

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