s2126125 MA Thesis Culture and Politics 5184VCP01Y * * * Pyeongchang 2018 and Inter-Korean Relations An analysis of inter-Korean relations and sports diplomacy leading up to, during and following the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in South Korea Thesis Research Paper MA Culture and Politics Thomas Roberts s2126125 [email protected] Word Count - 14,994 Examiner: Dr. E. Veldkamp Submission Date 04/01/2019 1 s2126125 Contents Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 3 Literature Review ........................................................................................................................ 8 Section 1 – The Beginnings of Sports Diplomacy .................................................................................. 8 Towards a “New” Sports Diplomacy – Emerging Powers ....................................................................... 9 A “New” Sports Diplomacy ................................................................................................................... 10 Section 2 - Sporting Mega-Events ........................................................................................................ 12 Challenges of Hosting Sporting Mega-Events ....................................................................................... 14 North Korea and Sporting Mega-Events ............................................................................................... 15 South Korea and Sporting Mega-Events ............................................................................................... 16 Section 3 - Sports Diplomacy and Political Breakthroughs ................................................................. 18 Sports Diplomacy and Inter-Korean Relations ...................................................................................... 20 Findings ..................................................................................................................................... 23 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................. 25 Section 1 - South Korea wins bid for 2018 Winter Olympics in 2011 ................................................. 25 2012 London Olympics .......................................................................................................................... 27 2014 Incheon Asian Games ................................................................................................................... 29 2015 & 2016 - Rio Olympics .................................................................................................................. 31 2017 - Lead up to Pyeongchang 2018 ................................................................................................... 33 Section 2 - North Korea agrees to participate in the 2018 Winter Olympics ..................................... 35 2018 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony .......................................................................................... 36 2018 Winter Olympics Competition ..................................................................................................... 38 Section 3 - Developments after Pyeongchang 2018 ........................................................................... 41 27 April – First Inter-Korean Summit .................................................................................................... 43 26 May - Second Inter-Korean Summit ................................................................................................. 43 18-20 September - Third Inter-Korean Summit .................................................................................... 44 China’s Role in Inter-Korean Relations ................................................................................................. 46 The US’s Role in Inter-Korean Relations ............................................................................................... 48 Sporting Unity Continues ...................................................................................................................... 50 Future Prospects ................................................................................................................................... 52 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................ 54 Further Research .................................................................................................................................. 57 Bibliography.......................................................................................................................................... 58 2 s2126125 Introduction Since the end of the Korean War in July 1953, North and South Korea have remained divided nations, with seemingly little hope of reunification. Other divided nations such as Vietnam and Germany have set aside their differences and become one state. North and South Korea are divided politically, socially and economically and, thus, reunification appears to be the only objective they share.1 Although North and South Korea differ politically as the North employs an ideology based on Juche (self-reliance) and the South is democratic, the Koreans remain bound by ethnic roots.2 Since the 1970s, inter-Korean relations have thawed to a certain extent and there has been an increase in communication between the two states.3 However, for reunification to take place, South Korea, in combination with the US insist that denuclearisation must occur on the Korea Peninsula. Tensions in the region have continually been inflamed due to persistent missile testing since North Korea’s withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty in 2003 and the breakdown of the six-party reunification talks in 2008.4 Recently, the global public witnessed a joint march by the two Koreas in the opening ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, with the Korean Peninsula flag representing the two teams.5 This occurrence has not been uncommon in inter- Korean relations.6 The two nations marched together at the opening ceremonies in the 2000, 2004 Summer Olympics, and the 2006 Winter Olympics.7 Conversely, before and during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, relations were tense and, as a result, a joint march was not held.8 Moreover, the 2002 Busan Games was the first time North Korea had participated in a 1 Udo Merkel. ‘Sport as a Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Tool.’ in Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics, eds. Alan Bairner, John Kelly & Jung Woo Lee. London & New York: Routledge, 2016). 2 Ibid. 3Armstrong, Charles K. Inter-Korean Relations in Historical perspective.’ International Journal of Korean Unification Studies, 14, No.2 (2005):1. 4 Evan J.R Revere. ‘Korean Reunification and US Interests: Preparing for One Korea.’ Brookings (20/01/2015). https://www.brookings.edu/on-the-record/korean-reunification-and-u-s-interests-preparing-for-one-korea/ Accessed 31/12/2018. 5 ‘Winter Olympics: Six incredible moments from opening ceremony.’ BBC News (09/02/2018). https://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/43005870 Accessed 14/10/2018. 7 Udo Merkel. ‘The Politics of Sport and Identity in North Korea.’ The International Journal of the History of Sport, 31, No.3 (2014):383. 8 Merkel. ‘Sport as a Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Tool.’ 3 s2126125 sporting competition held in South Korea. 9 Previously, Pyongyang had conducted two terrorist attacks before the 1988 Seoul Olympics, the second resulting in the deaths of 115 people on Korean Air Flight 858.10 Thus, historically, sport and inter-Korean relations have had a complex relationship with each other. Previously, scholars such as Brian Bridges have played down the importance of sport in inter-Korean relations.11 However, following the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics in February, there has been an increase in communication between the two states. North and South Korea entertained three summits in 2018, whereas before, only two had been held since the end of the Korean War. 12 Moreover, these summits have led to North Korea agreeing to close one of its nuclear missile test facilities.13 The discourse between the two states has been one of harmony and cooperation. For example, the two leaders of North and South Korea, Kim Jong-Un and Moon Jae-In, were pictured hand-in-hand during the April summit of last year.14 Consequently, the relationship between sport and politics deserves a re-think. Sports diplomacy is a recent discipline which has been reintroduced by Stuart Murray.15 Murray envisaged a reanalysis of the relationship between sport and politics and eventually argued that sport diplomacy could be embedded into foreign policy by states. 16 Thus, sports diplomacy cannot be limited to one-off exchanges with politics, such as in the case of US- China’s ‘ping-pong’ diplomacy in 1971.17 18 9 9 Jung Woo Lee. ‘The Politics of Sports Mega-events in South Korea.’ in Routledge Handbook of Sport and Politics, eds. Alan Bairner, John Kelly & Jung Woo Lee. (London & New York: Routledge, 2016). 10 Merkel. ‘Sport as a Foreign Policy and Diplomatic Tool.’ 11 Bridges. The Two Koreas and the Politics of Global Sport. p166. 12 ‘North Korea’s Kim Jong-un agrees to shut missile site.’ BBC News (19/09/2018). https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45569924 Accessed 14/10/2018. 13 Ibid.