Behind the Ivy - Spring 2018

BEYOND THE IVY

North Korea’s late entries on January 20th and has allowed the women’s hockey roster to have twelve North Korean and twenty-three South Korean athletes so long as three members of the North Korean delegation play in each game. The president of the IOC, Thomas Bach, is extremely excited about the events and has stated that many outside sources and news outlets are seeing this as a positive development. It may be history in the making, especially since the two countries announced that there will be accompanying talks to discuss the current military tensions that have escalated over the past year. The international community also seems to be cautiously optimistic about the event, although some are skeptical about North Korea’s intentions

in attending the games. Japan has stated that they believe there is a chance that North Korea is simply hoping to buy time to continue its missile and nuclear development programs. Some are even angry about the announcement; on Monday, January 22nd, there were protests in South Korea during which Kim Jong-un’s picture was burned with a blowtorch. The apprehension towards the announcement was also shown through a significant decline in South Korean’s president Moon Jae-in’s approval rating. Protesters have felt particularly sympathetic towards the South Korean women’s hockey team members who will be forced to compete alongside complete strangers. One of the fundamental principles of the Olympics, as stated by the Olympic Charter,

is “to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind” and it would appear that the recent unfolding of events unifying the two Koreas is the epitome of this value. But is it really as good as it may seem? Should we be skeptical of North Korea’s intention? Is this really about the Olympic Games, or are these athletes simply being used as chess pieces in a grander political board game? Is it possible that one phone call has changed the world?

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