By Kang Hyun-kyung
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) responded positively on Thursday to Sports Minister Do Jong-hwan’s proposal that the two Koreas co-host the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.
“We are happy to discuss his ideas,” the BBC quoted an unnamed IOC spokesperson as saying. “The Olympic movement is always about building bridges, never about erecting walls … We are looking at the comments of the new minister of sport, culture and tourism with great interest.”
The IOC’s reaction came after Minister Do said this week he would consult Olympic authorities to make the most of the forthcoming Winter Olympics in South Korea to ease tensions with the North.
During his visit to the Winter Olympics organizing committee in the eastern county of PyeongChang on Tuesday, Do said peace should be the theme of the international sporting event to be held next February and March.
To help make this happen, he stressed North Korea needs to participate, which also could help the two Koreas end their diplomatic standoff. The sports minister also proposed a unified team for women’s ice hockey.
Under the plan to co-host the Olympics, Do said he would like to visit North Korea’s Masikryong ski resort to see if some alpine sports events could take place there and also to consider including some North Korean cities in the Olympic torch relay.
He said he would discuss the relevant issues with IOC President Thomas Bach and Chang Ung, a North Korean representative to the IOC, who will visit the southeastern city of Muju for the World Taekwondo Federation championship that will open on June 24.
Chinese media quoted the North Korean official as saying Chang was willing to meet Minister Do to listen to his ideas in greater detail.
The IOC’s response to the peace Olympics approach came amid the South Korean public’s criticisms of the sports minister’s unified hockey team proposal.
Do’s proposal drew a slew of criticisms for allegedly attempting to use sports for politics.
Using sports to create favorable public opinion for the government is an old idea implemented during the authoritarian government of the 1980s.
Under the so-called “3S policy,” the Chun Doo-hwan government pushed the creation of several professional sports leagues to turn public attention away from Chun’s controversial rise to power through a military coup in 1980 and resultant massacre in Gwangju. The 3S stands for sports, sex and screen.
The rationale of the 3S policy is that sports, screen and sex are powerful ways to control society and help dictators stay in power while reducing public resistance.
The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) League was created in 1982 and football league K League in 1983, under the 3S policy.
Those professional leagues attracted many fans into ballparks and football stadiums.
Critics also say Do’s suggestion would also reduce opportunities for South Korean athletes.
If a unified team is formed, several South Korean female hockey players would inevitably lose the opportunity to compete at the Olympics.