On 20 May a soccer match was played in South Korea between the women’s teams of Suwon FC Women and Naegohyang Women’s FC. The North Korean Naegohyang Women’s FC beat its South Korean opponent 2-1. This remarkable match did raise the question whether a political motive was involved. Could this game of soccer bring peace between the two nations a bit closer? Most observers felt that the duel on the pitch should just be regarded as a sportive event, without any political considerations.
However, those who had an eye open for a possible political dimension are backed by history. Thus, the notion of ‘ping-pong diplomacy’ demonstrates how sport can promote international communication in times of political turmoil. Thus, table tennis helped improve relations between China and the United States in 1971. American and Chinese players got along well during the World Table Tennis Championships in Japan, which ultimately resulted in the US team travelling to China, while paving the way for the visit US president Richard Nixon paid to China in 1972. In his book Ping-pong Diplomacy: The Secret History Behind the Game That Changed the World, Nicolas Griffin makes the point that as a result of these developments, table tennis grew into a way of connecting nations and cultures.
Traditionally, sport has also played an important role in relations between North and South Korea. As Brian Bridges notes in his paper Driver of Peace? Ping-pong Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula, sport has served as a “soft power” by encouraging discussion and lowering tensions. In 1991 North and South Korea even went so far as to field a joint table tennis team for the 1991 World Championships in Japan. The team waived the Korean Unification Flag, competed under the name “Korea,” and sang “Arirang” rather than distinct national anthems. In the same vein, a joint team from North and South Korea competed in women’s ice hockey during the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. The importance of these events should not be underestimated because they demonstrate that political differences can still be bridged through sports.
During the recent visit of the North Korean soccer team, the focus in the media was not so much on politics, but on the North Korean players’ behavior. The North Koreans were characterized by certain news sources as “expressionless” or emotionally distant. However, it is important to avoid drawing quick conclusions in cross-cultural settings. Thus, during the recent summit between President Trump and President Xi, some western journalists characterized President Trump as expressive and President Xi as showing no emotion, but the latter is often considered normal and respectful in Chinese culture. This shows the need to refrain from imposing Western standards on Asian cultures, in other words, one should not “put square pegs in round holes.” Instead of making quick judgments, cultural differences should be explored and appreciated respectfully.
Events like the match between Suwon FC women and Naegohyang Women’s FC demonstrate how sports can encourage interaction and communication, while easing tension and promoting understanding between societies, even though they may not offer a quick fix to political disputes. Sport exchanges between nations like North and South Korea and China and the United States show that culture and sport can occasionally provide opportunities that politics alone cannot offer.
Bronnen:
How athletes have helped bridge the inter-Korean divide. – The Korea Herald
North Korean women’s team win Asian Champions League title in South Korea – Aljazeera
Griffin, N. (2014). Ping-Pong Diplomacy: The Secret History Behind the Game That Changed the World. SKYHORSE PUBLISHING.
Bridges, Brian. “Driver of Peace? Ping-Pong Diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.” International Journal of Korean History, vol. 25, no. 2, 2020, pp. 75–104. International Journal of Korean History article.