Flags, Feuds and Frictions: North Korea and the London 2012 Olympics

Abstract

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea participated in the 2012 Summer Olympics in London with 51 athletes. They won a total of six medals and finished 20th in the overall medal table. However, most observers of the London 2012 Olympics will not remember North Korea's athletic successes but the flag blunder that kicked the Games off with a diplomatic row. On the first day, the South Korean flag was accidentally displayed next to the faces of the North Korean women's football team on the stadium's huge screen. Although there have been several flag controversies and blunders in the context of the Olympic Games, this incident must be considered as one of the most embarrassing and high-profile as, technically, North and South Korea are still at war having signed only an armistice at the end of the Korean War in 1953. This paper deals with three interrelated issues: first, it outlines the development of inter-Korean political and sporting relations since the 2008 Beijing Olympics before, second, it focuses on the political significance of the 2012 London Games. Third, it summarises key themes and ideological messages emerging from a qualitative analysis of the state-controlled North Korean media coverage of the 2012 Olympics. The Korean Central News Agency appears to pursue a dual strategy: it aims to increase the popularity of outstanding North Korean athletes and create home-grown stars, and also attempts to encourage an alternative discourse about the country abroad. All these issues need to be analysed in wider context of significant political changes in both Koreas, particularly in the North, where Kim Jong-un, who came to power in December 2011, has started to carve out a distinct identity and forge his own leadership style.

Keywords::

• North Korea
• foreign policy
• diplomatic row
• KCNA media coverage

Notes

^1.Ok, The Transformation of Modern Korean Sport, 355.

^2.Cho and Bairner, “The Socio-Cultural Legacy,” 285.

^3.Cha, Beyond the Final Score, 59.

^4. Due to the large number of commonalities between the divided Germany and Korea, political scientists tend to use very similar terms, which originated in the German context and language to describe and analyse the situation on the Korean peninsula. The term Ostpolitik, for example, refers to the specific set of political initiatives, policies and activities the West-German government developed and employed to deal with its neighbour in the East (German: Ost). As Korea is not divided in an Eastern and Western part but in North and South, the term Nordpolitik is the result of a linguistic adaptation process recognising the different geographical locations (Nord meaning North).

^5.Choi, “Building Bridges,” 107–115.

^6.Jonsson, Towards Korean Reconciliation, 58–61.

^7.Merkel, “The Politics of Sport Diplomacy and Reunification in Divided Korea,” 289–312.

^8. Cha, Beyond the Final Score, 42–3.

^9. BBC, “North and South Korea in Stalemate.” Accessed March 26, 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/7315114.stm.

^10.Merkel, “North Korean Media Accounts,” 2332.

^11. Duerden, “Korean Neighbours Ready for World Cup Showdown” (The Guardian, March 31, 2009, 34).

^12. Duerden, “Jong Tae-se is North Korea's Answer to Wayne Rooney” (The Observer, May 30, 2010, 35).

^13. Watts, “World Cup 2010: Why North Korea are in a League of their Own” (The Guardian, June 20, 2010, 26).

^14. Talmadge, “Analysts Say North Korea's New Missiles are Fakes” (The Guardian, April 26, 2012, 30).

^15. Tisdall, “The Keys to Pyongyang” (The Guardian, November 23, 2010, 24–5).

^16.Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun, 443.

^17. Kennedy, “Europe to Send Urgent Food Aid to North Korea” (The Guardian, July 4, 2011, 11).

^18.Cumings, North Korea, 158–60.

^19.Martin, Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader, 176.

^20.Lee and Bairner, “The Difficult Dialogue,” 394. and Shin, Ethnic Nationalism in Korea.

^21.Myers, The Cleanest Race, 83.

^22. Koeble, “Advancing Globalization Makes Its Mark in North Korea” (Der Spiegel, October 12, 2012, 22).

^23. Branigan, “Jong-il Anniversary: ‘We are too Busy Trying to Survive to Care’ ” (The Guardian, December 10, 2012, 22); “The Cultural Life of North Korea” (The Guardian, October 15, 2010, 25).

^24.Portal, Art under Control, 136.

^25. Fackler, “On North Korean TV, A Dash of (Unapproved) Disney Magic” (The New York Times, July 9, 2012, 16).

^26. Lorenz, “Kim Jong-un Sends Cautious Signals of Reform” (Der Spiegel, July 12 2012, 19).

^27.Kim, On Popularizing Physical Training and Sport.

^28.Hong, “Women's Football in the Two Koreas,” 127.

^29. Murray and Meikle, “London 2012 Organisers Apologise for North Korea Flag Blunder” (The Guardian, July 26, 2012, 33).

^30.Senn, Power, Politics, 185.

^31.Bridges, The Two Koreas, 94–107 and Merkel, “The Politics of Sport Diplomacy and Reunification in Divided Korea,” 289–312.

^32. Merkel, “North Korean Media Accounts,” 2331.

^33. Both the North's anthem and flag are officially banned in the South.

^34. Merkel, “‘North Korean Media Accounts,” 2326–37.

^35. Kim, On Popularizing Physical Training and Sport, 21–2.

^36.Merkel, “Pyongyang Proudly Presents,” 10–22.

^37. Hills, “Olympics 2012: North Korea Attacks Paper which Called Nation ‘Naughty’” (The Guardian, August 8, 2012, 16).

^38. Several months later, KCNA suddenly announced that the Arirang Festival would be continued and take place in 2013 (from the end of July to the beginning of September).

^39. Hyde, “Why Dennis Rodman is Hanging out with Kim Jong-un” (The Guardian, February 28, 2013, 30).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Udo Merkel

Udo Merkel is a Senior Lecturer in Events Management at the University of Brighton's School of Sport and Service Management. He has a keen interest in the critical, social-scientific study of the international events industry. His research focuses on sociological and political aspects of international sports events, particularly in Europe and Asia.