Background Information
The Olympics is one of the world’s foremost international multi-sport events and has been held since 1896. It is held every four years and is seen as a symbol and manifestation of peace, brotherhood and sportsmanship between the participating nations. Despite the political circumstances, North Korea, a secretive nation in east Asia, has been an occasional participant in the Olympic Games, with the country first sending athletes to the Summer Games in 1972. But has North Korea ever had the honour of hosting the Olympics?
Main Topic Facts
The answer to this question is: No, North Korea has never hosted the Olympic Games. North Korea’s love for the Olympics may have started when table tennis player Pak Yung Sun was chosen to be the Republic of Korea’s lone representative at the 1964 Games in Tokyo. As a way to illustrate their full support towards the DPRK, representatives of the Soviet Union proposed for the 1988 Summer Olympics to be held jointly in both Seoul and Pyongyang. This proposal was later rejected. It is not reasonable to assume that the DPRK will ever be allowed to host an Olympic Games, given the state’s human rights abuses and nuclear weapons program.
Experts Perspectives
According to some experts, North Korea has since then sought to use the Olympic Games to its own advantage, improving its international legitimacy and publicity by sending its athletes to the event. Every time North Korea participates in the Olympic Games, it is usually accompanied by a flashy display of national pride and unity. But hosting the Games, or even gaining the right to host them, is a much more complicated process than just participating in them.
International Relations expert Andrew Yeo believes that North Korea’s isolationist stance and past actions would make it impossible for them to ever host the Olympics. Professor Yeo said in an interview, “North Korea is considered a pariah state by much of the international community due to its nuclear proliferation, human rights abuses and its lack of cooperation with other nations. These are all factors that put it in violation of the International Olympic Committee’s regulations, so it is highly unlikely that North Korea will ever get the chance to host the Olympics”.
Political Implications
Asiapedia analyst Matt Maeda believes that in addition to being out of compliance with Olympic rules, granting North Korea the honour of hosting the Games could have unwanted political implications for the rest of the world. Maeda commented: “If North Korea ever got the chance to host the Olympics, it could be seen as a sign of international approval and recognition of the country’s autocratic leadership. This would be a dangerous move in a region already saturated with geopolitical tensions and distrust of North Korea”.
Popular Opinion and Sentiment
The majority of people in South Korea and other nearby nations are also firmly against the prospect of North Korea hosting the Games, failing to trust the DPRK despite its rhetoric of “peaceful reunification”. Some have even spread false rumours that the Olympics will be jointly hosted in the future, causing widespread fear and confusion.
During a survey of South Korean citizens, it was found that 80% of respondents had an unfavourable or strongly unfavourable opinion of North Korea hosting the Games. According to survey respondent H-J Bae, “It is impossible to trust North Korea. It will not be a pleasant experience if they were to host the Olympics, not to mention the security risks”.
Athlete Perspective
For those North Korean athletes who have participated in the Olympic Games, the prospect of the country hosting the event is an unlikely one. North Korean gymnast Pak Hyon Suk, who competed in the 2000 and 2004 Olympics, commented on the possibility of her country hosting: “I have no doubt that North Korea could host the Olympics. We are a proud and capable nation, both in terms of our athletes and infrastructure. It will be a great honour for us if the IOC ever decide to allow us to host. But I think it is an unlikely scenario, given the situation at the moment”.
Sanctions and Negotiations
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has repeatedly imposed sanctions on North Korea in response to its illegal nuclear program. As a result, North Korea is unlikely to even be allowed to bid to host an Olympic Games in the near future. North Korea will only be able to host the Games if it can reach a negotiated settlement with the international community that heavily reduces the nation’s nuclear capabilities.
International Criticisms
International criticism of North Korea’s nuclear program and human rights abuses has reached unprecedented levels in recent years. In 2017, a panel of United Nations experts criticized North Korea’s “long-standing and ongoing systematic, widespread and gross violations of human rights”. North Korea’s dismal human rights record is also of great concern to human rights organisations such as Human Rights Watch (HRW), who have repeatedly called on the international community to act on the issue.
America’s Role
The United States has repeatedly criticised North Korea for its nuclear activities, with US President Donald Trump describing the nation’s policy as “reckless and dangerous”. Despite this, the US has pursued several diplomatic strategies to try to persuade North Korea to abandon its programme. The US has also led sanctions imposed by the United Nations on North Korea, prohibiting any nation from selling arms, petroleum or related goods to the country.
United Nations Involvement
The United Nations remains at the forefront of the effort to restrain North Korea, with the organisation spearheading efforts to monitor the situation and impose international sanctions. So far, the UN has imposed two rounds of sanctions on North Korea in response to its nuclear activities and human rights abuses. The UN Security Council has also demanded that North Korea uphold its obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty and cooperate fully with international nuclear inspectors.
Analysis and Insights
The idea that North Korea could ever host an Olympic Games is not likely to be taken seriously by the international community anytime soon. Abuses of human rights, nuclear proliferation and volatile political relations have all contributed to the hostile and negative attitudes held towards the DPRK by many international organisations and countries.
North Korea is likely to stay on the international blacklist for some time, and it will be a long time before the country is able to gain the trust of the international community and convincingly demonstrate that it can be a suitable host and responsible member of the Olympic movement.
