South Korean Sports Culture
Sport has become a state-run project in South Korea, which has been closely monitored by the political elite and companies have been financially supporting it. "For Koreans, sport is not just fun. It is always a solemn ritual that determines the fate of the state and the future of the nation." says Masaki Tosa, who believes in the ethnographic survey of Sports Nationalism in South Korea, published two years ago.
The most important thing is to win
Sportsmen in South Korean society are extremely appreciated, because sport on the Korean Peninsula consists of so many layers and has so many meanings. But that is in case they win course. In the country that still creates its postcolonial identity, the sporting rule that "the most important is to participate" doesn't apply, while, actually the most important thing is to win, so athletes are under big pressure.
In every nation, fans equate the success of their heroes, but the gold medal in South Korean chest talks about history, the present and the future, defying all the accidents that this country has experienced and proving that its economic power provides more than just good cars and mobile phones. In addition, it promises that the company will continue to develop and both its general and sports culture will be increasingly present on the global stage.
News and photo source: Delo.si
Photo credits: Matej Družnik