[Global NK Commentary] Proposals for Joint Inter-Korean Olympics

[Editor's Note]

Sports have played a significant role in reconciliation, cooperation, and the restoration of national homogeneity between South and North Korea. As a common interest for both Koreas, sports are expected to serve as a leading and competitive force in exchange and cooperation. Professor Kim Heung-tae views exchange and cooperation in the sports sector between South and North Korea as a mission of our time and an immediate obligation. In this context, he reviews past efforts for inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation and proposes the pursuit of hosting joint inter-Korean Olympics and specific measures for it, as an opportunity to create a new turning point for sustained and stable improvement of inter-Korean relations.

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The history of the division of the Korean Peninsula has led to its further solidification through territorial division, political division, and national division, deepening political, economic, social, and cultural heterogeneity. Over the past 80 years of division, South and North Korea have intermittently alternated between mutual hostile confrontation and mutually friendly cooperation, leading to the present situation. This can be understood as a process of transition from hostile confrontation to hostile exchange and cooperation, and then to advanced exchange and cooperation, within the history of division. Thus, inter-Korean relations since the division have maintained a unique relationship characterized by conflict, animosity, confrontation, exchange and cooperation, and reconciliation, a repetitive and consumptive cycle unique to a divided nation on the global stage.

The Moon Jae-in administration's Korean Peninsula policy, launched in 2015, can be understood as a long-term, comprehensive policy led by South Korea, aiming to achieve peace and prosperity encompassing the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia, in conjunction with North Korea, Northeast Asia, and the international community. The Korean Peninsula is experiencing unstable peace amidst military tensions, and despite strong international sanctions, there is a persistent concern over North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations, creating a situation where peace and stability are earnestly desired.

The third inter-Korean summit (September 18-20, 2018) was successfully held in Pyongyang. This is believed to have created hopeful expectations for improved inter-Korean relations and the establishment of lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. South and North Korea announced the summit results as the September Pyongyang Joint Declaration, proclaiming a new era of partnership and improved relations. According to Article 4, Section 2 of the 2018 September Pyongyang Joint Declaration, "The South and the North agreed to jointly and actively advance into international competitions, including the 2020 Summer Olympics, and to cooperate in bidding for the co-hosting of the 2032 Summer Olympics." This is expected to serve as a decisive opportunity for inter-Korean relations to improve and for sports to contribute to a new turning point for the coexistence and shared prosperity of the Korean people.

Over the past 80 years of division, there have been various instances of contact, exchange, and cooperation in diverse fields between South and North Korea. Among these, in the field of sports, intermittent but meaningful exchanges and cooperation have existed with the aim of "contributing to reconciliation and cooperation through sports exchange and cooperation, restoring national homogeneity, and further promoting peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula." It is anticipated that sports will continue to play a leading and competitive role in inter-Korean exchange and cooperation. Sports exchange and cooperation between South and North Korea should serve as a catalyst, initiating the process of improving inter-Korean relations for national unification and integration, followed by peaceful coexistence and settlement. This can be considered a mission of our time and an immediate obligation in the field of inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation. Pursuing this with a focus on gradually increasing national homogeneity will undoubtedly create significant value. Furthermore, to build a broader vision for peace on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia in the future, the overarching principle of "building peace through exchange and cooperation" must be proclaimed and adhered to.

Similar to the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the 2018 Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games also left a meaningful legacy in terms of inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation, contributing to improved inter-Korean relations and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula. This served as an opportunity to broaden public consensus that sports is a key area that can lead significant changes in future inter-Korean relations. The Republic of Korea, strengthening its position as a leading sports nation, has achieved the world's sixth-largest "sports grand slam" by hosting four major global sports mega-events: the Summer Olympics, Winter Olympics, World Athletics Championships, and the FIFA World Cup. If the joint hosting of the Olympics between South and North Korea is realized, it will be recorded as another historical achievement and a milestone with multifaceted significance.

The pursuit of hosting joint inter-Korean Olympics should be recognized as a top national priority, elevating it to a matter of common interest for both Koreas, with the goal of creating a milestone for improved inter-Korean relations and shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. Therefore, various discussions and efforts are required. Furthermore, aiming for the sustained pursuit of inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation, it is necessary to prioritize the restoration of sports exchanges and cooperation, ensure their continuity, and broaden public consensus. To this end, efforts should focus on restoring the momentum of sports exchange and cooperation based on current accessibility. The pursuit of joint inter-Korean Olympic hosting can be understood as a policy matter proposed and driven by the Moon Jae-in administration, signifying a turning point for improved inter-Korean relations and proclaiming a blueprint for an era of shared prosperity on the Korean Peninsula. As part of the measures for pursuing joint inter-Korean Olympics, the following proposals are made through the presentation of symbolic and practical agendas:

First, it is proposed to pursue a football exchange match, tentatively named 'New Gyeongpyeongjeon,' inheriting the historical context of the Gyeongpyeongjeon, between Seoul and Pyongyang. Second, it is proposed to organize a marathon race, tentatively named the 'International Peace Cup,' between Seoul and Kaesong. Third, it is proposed to hold a table tennis tournament, tentatively named the 'Korea Peace Cup International Men's, Women's, and Mixed Doubles Table Tennis Championships,' through inter-Korean table tennis exchange and cooperation. Fourth, it is proposed to organize forums or conferences, tentatively named the 'Korea Sports Science Forum' or 'Korea Sports Scientists Conference,' centered around inter-Korean sports policy and sports science research institutions. Fifth, regarding the future co-hosting of the Olympics, it is proposed to select approximately 16-17 events for North Korea as co-hosting events, considering North Korea's international competitiveness, its participation history and results in periodic international competitions, as well as its geopolitical environment and recently developed relevant infrastructure.

Sixth, it is proposed to establish a special committee composed of experts from civil society, government, and academia, operating under the President or the Prime Minister's Office, tentatively named the 'Inter-Korean Social and Cultural Exchange and Cooperation Committee' or the 'Inter-Korean Sports Exchange and Cooperation Promotion Special Committee,' to serve as a practical and effective think tank for inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation. Seventh, it is proposed to formulate and implement a 'Five-Year Plan for the Revitalization of Inter-Korean Sports Exchange and Cooperation' or a 'Five-Year Plan for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation' upon the inauguration of a new government. Eighth, it is proposed to pursue exchange and cooperation that can lead to practical effects and spillover, moving beyond a singular focus on unified teams, such as the proposed pilot program of a 'North Korean player registration system outside the quota' for the South Korean K-League 1.

Ninth, as a preliminary step to revitalize inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation, it is proposed to pursue a strategic approach in sports and fields with easy feasibility by proclaiming the 'Principle of Proactive Proposal.' In this pursuit, the proclamation of the overarching principle of 'linking identity first, then separating identity' is requested. Tenth, as part of establishing a systematic foundation for revitalizing inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation, it is proposed to develop and foster a pool of experts related to North Korean sports and exchange cooperation. As part of this, it is proposed to build an archive of information and data on North Korean sports and exchange cooperation and to hold regular colloquiums to generate and disseminate academic, informational, and data-related outcomes. Finally, it is proposed to pursue the legislative and institutionalization of relevant frameworks for sustainable inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation. As part of this, it is proposed to conclude a 'Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Inter-Korean Sports Exchange and Cooperation' between the parties concerned and to enact the 'Support Act for Inter-Korean Sports Exchange and Cooperation' within South Korea.

Kim Heung-tae_Professor, Department of Sports Science, Daejin University. He graduated from Korea University Graduate School with a major in Sports Administration and Policy. His research areas include North Korean sports and inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation theory. He currently serves as the President of the Korea Entertainment Industry Association and the Vice President and Editor-in-Chief of the Korea Society for Sports Policy.

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