Summary: Kim Yo Jong, the sister of North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un, sat behind United State’s VP Mike Pence at the opening ceremony of the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. The New York Times’ headline read, “Kim Jong-un’s Sister Turns On the Charm, Taking Pence’s Spotlight,” and CNN’s headline read “Kim Jong Un's sister is stealing the show at the Winter Olympics,“ and ABC’s headline read, "North Korea's 200-plus cheerleaders command spotlight at 2018 Winter Olympics with synchronized chants.” The author of this article at The Hill states that this is just another reason trust in the media is at an all time low. Other articles are comparing Kim Yo Jong to Ivanka Trump by stating their similar roles in the administrations. However, the media is focusing on Kim’s great smile, instead of the gulags, mass murders, starvation, Otto Warmbier, and missile tests of North Korea. Pence said the U.S. will continue to apply the maximum pressure to North Korea, but did say that he will talk to North Korea if they wanted to (which did not happen).
Analysis & Opinion: Personally, I do not believe that the two Koreas should unify because they are in very different places. Like South Korea has an advanced economy and well developed education system, while North Korea does not. So, it would cost a lot to unify them, in addition to assimilating the two cultures. For example, even though the two Koreas are competing together in the Olympics, most North Koreans are not able to watch the majority of the Olympics and their athletes. I also think that Pence should have actively tried to have a meeting with Kim in order to discuss a way to move forward without being on the brink of nuclear war. Personally, I believe this would involve a request to remove sanctions by Kim, and Pence refusing. Even if this meeting was not a success, I think it would be important to foster a healthy relationship.
Questions:
- What do you think about Kim Yo Jong’s role in North Korea? What do you think about her (and North Korea all together) at the Olympics?
- Do you believe that by having North Korea compete with South Korea as one united Korea it will foster a more cooperative relationship between the two? Do you think that this might lead to reunification or just foster a healthy and peaceful relationship?
- Do you think Pence should have talked with her? What do you think would have happened?
- Why do you think the media is glamorizing North Korea's appearance at the Olympics?
19 comments:
Olympics is probably the only day where people of both Koreas can agree on some temporary peace. I don't necessarily think that the media is "glorifying" the regime, but what good would it bring to make a headline that says "The sister of the totalitarian dictator is here at the Olympics." I take a different stance on the Korean reunification. I believe that the Koreas should reunify. Although there are many differences in their economy and education systems, they are still of the same ethnicity. The first years of reunification would probably lead to an economic crisis for South Korea since they would need to provide food, revamp North Korea's education system, and etc. However, North Korea does have a lot of resources (land, natural resources, etc.) that they don't really use, so if the two Koreas were eventually able to reunify, then South Korea can also reap some benefits out of that. Going back to the Olympics, I do not believe that by having one united Korea in the Olympics would foster a more cooperative relationship between the two. One Korea is of a democratic government while the other Korea is of communism/totalitarianism. After the Olympics is over, they will probably be at "war" with each other again. Also, I don't think Olympics would be an appropriate time to talk about nuclear weapons, and Kim Yo Jong would probably not respond positively to what the U.S. is trying to do.
I think that it is a good thing that North Korea has a presence at the Olympics, because it gives the international community more hope for peace, and presents a united front. I do not think that her presence at the games really offers any hope to ending the international tension surrounding North Korea, but it still offers a small sliver of cooperative intent, which I respect. I do not think that the Koreas cooperating as one Korea really offers any possibility of reunification because I believe the Koreas have reached a point where their beliefs no longer align. I do think that they should reunify, but that it's very unlikely. This is the first step to a better relationship, but reunification is a completely separate matter, and they should first focus on reestablishing a healthy and cooperative relationship. I dislike that the media is sensationalizing the North Korean appearance at the olympics, because they should be showing them as real people, not the over-glamorized version they are showing at the moment. The cheerleaders are people, just like the cheerleaders from any other country, but I can see why they would want to portray them as such. Americans have seen North Koreans as an extremely oppressed people, so seeing their presence at the Olympic games is a completely new experience, that many news organizations will want to exploit in a way.
In a nation as closed off as North Korea, it is very appealing for the media to express their opinions about it. However, this doesn't mean the media is glorifying the country. It is more that they are clickbaiting their audience into looking at their stories. Most of the world already knows that North Korea is a horrible dictatorship. However a humanizing piece could draw a larger audience.
As others have alluded to, there is an innately saccharine, peace on the earth, global unity atmosphere permeating the Olympics. In a world that is plagued by so many issues, so much conflict, so much violence, there something incredibly comforting from the sentiment of "lets just watch some sports for a week." All this being said, as much as the media is latching on to this narrative, I am dubious in asserting whether North Korea's charm offensive has really been working. Mike Pence has been giving Kim Yo Jong the cold shoulder, and has espoused a methodology of "maximum pressure." Again the media is latching on to an interesting and very common narrative these Olympic games, with an emphasis on novelties such as the cheering brigade; this may seem duplicitous to some in the context of the totalitarian regime, but it is hardly glorifying North Korea. The media is in its holding pattern, chasing what will get views, but at the end of the day, things will settle back to the status quo. Note: I hope that I am wrong and I would love a thawing of the relationship between North and South Korea, but my gut is telling me not much will change.
I also appreciate the temporary unity and peace that the Olympics have brought to the whole world. Everybody comes together to watch the same thing, even if they are cheering for different teams. Although I personally support the reunification of North and South Korea, the longer they wait, the harder and more difficult it will be. We can see language and economic barriers already. Families were separated after the border was created, and I would love to see these countries and relatives finally reunited. However, this future is looking quite bleak and I just hope they will maintain a healthy relationship with each other. I think competing together will help foster a more peaceful relationship. It saddens me to think that they will not be reunited but there are too many difficult factors that may prevent them from ever reuniting. I also cannot speak for North or South Koreans, as they may have a completely different opinion on this.
Unlike most of the other comments, I actually have to disagree. I don't think that this temporary unification is very positive. I see it less as a temporary unity symbolizing hope, and more as something wholly unnecessary for two nations who have shown very little interest in reuniting. I don't think Pence needed to actively attempt to meet with her, as I don't believe the Olympics is generally a place where politics and foreign relation affairs is generally discussed at length.
I don't think unification is possible, as there is too many cultural and societal differences that have arose in over 70 years of separation. Think about Germany, for example, even today, there is still a struggle for connection between the former West and East sides, and they were reunified 30 years ago.
The media is paying attention to her because honestly, that is the only things interesting so far. To be honest, the winter olympics this year have sucked and this is the best way for them to get views.
I believe unification of North Korea and South Korea is quite frankly, impossible. While South Korea's economy has prospered in recent years, North Korea remains at an extremely low per capita gross national income. North Korea requires a gradual shift to a freer economy to match South Korea economically, and many upgrades to their infrastructure to lift the North Korean people out of poverty. This doesn't even take into account the many cultural and ideological differences between the two nations, and their respective leaders do not seem to have interests in reunification. Furthermore, how long will this reunification take? Much effort and time is needed to set up a new central government and construct new infrastructure relating the two nations.
I think the media is giving them so much positive spotlight to try and make-up for Trumps constant barrage of insults towards NK and its regime. It's a cheap and temporary way to try and be nice towards the enemy, but its a nice attempt. As for the temporary peace between NK and SK: it's temporary. I won't last and I believe that they shouldn't be unified anyway. North Korea's economy has been stagnant and decaying for the past years and their regime has only gotten worse, it would be a huge blow and burden towards South Korea to try and mold with them. I'm glad that our White House Representitives are being polite for a change, antagonizging others a large event is only going to cause problems.
I think that the media is giving the DPRK a positive spotlight in order to facilitate better relations with other countries. This is positive reinforcement. Because the DPRK did something good, by joining South Korea in the Olympics, then they should be rewarded. However, I believe that the unification under one flag during the olympics is a temporary thing. I think that if there was a reunification of North and South Korea, it would be way to detrimental for the South Koreans. The DPRK's economic is an anchor and if they reunified, then South Korea's growing economy would hala and may never recover.
It is likely impossible for North and South Korea to become united. South Korea is among the most democratic nations in Asia, and there is no way they would accept the totalitarian regime of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. Likewise the Supreme Leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea would never accept any form of government other than his own rule. Although I do think that North Korea's participation in the Olympics despite the tensions is a step closer to peace and the improvement of its relation to other countries. Anything that keeps a nuclear war further from our doorstep is a good thing right?
I think this North Korea representative is getting a lot of publicity is because we still don't know much about North Korea because they're such a private disclosed country. We rarely see them in a world wide event like the Olympics so observing them and just getting to see them is something that peaks the interest of media, and then the media covers them to the public. I don't think having North Korea and South Korea compete as one nation will result in a reunification. It's not that simple, North Korea has such a different culture compared to South Korea, how would they compromise who the leaders are if they were to reunify.
Your last question is interesting. I learned from a vlogger that North Korea bans all media organizations who report negative coverage on them from entering.
Footage of North Korea or their people is sure to get clicks and views and attention, and maybe the information above contributes to how the media is glorifying the regime.
A few weeks ago former ambassador to the Philippines and Japan, Michael Armacost, spoke at Aragon. Per request, much of what he talked about was the relationship between North and South Korea. He emphasized the small steps we need to take to get to the point where we are able to talk with North Korea; that we need to take things slow and establish trust before we can even think about making any big deals. I think North and South Korea unifying at the Olympics is an example of one of those small steps that will hopefully lead to more substantial talks in the future. However, In 2000, 2004, and 2006 athletes from North and South Korea entered the Olympics under the Unification Flag, and it seems like those actions didn't cause much progress. So, while I am hopeful it will help to improve relations, I’m not convinced it will have a significant effect.
I personally am very glad that North Korea is a part of the Olympics this year. Although they often seem very intimidating, it is most definitely a step in the right direction to have them in these games. No it is not a sign of reunification yet, however it is possible in the distant future, simply because I feel there is too much tension outside of the games that cannot be ignored. By having the North and South compete together, the two nations are somewhat forced together which I believe is a good thing because it is in a healthy situation and should hopefully have some positive impacts. I think that the Olympic games are meant to be representative of a unified world where each nation is respectfully competing against each other so it is a good way to immerse North Korea without having them stick out as much as they normally do. I would have to say that yes the media is in a way glorifying the presence of North Korea, but this is expected. North Korea is such an mysterious nation in many ways that it is obviously a place of great interest for many Americans purely due to the fact so little is known about what truly happens in the country and the games provide that little bit of insight.
I have no idea how genuine the cooperation was between South and North Korea in their joint competition, but personally, I would have to consider this overall a positive event. I don't think it will lead to a better relationship, however; I simply view it as one day for representatives from each country to act as one, but that would be as the people of Korea, not of the governments. As in, while I'm sure North and South Koreans are pleased to be able to share this experience, it does not change the vast differences between their respective countries. However, again, it does allow them to "unify" and will discourage any hard feelings toward each other. In regards to the media glorifying North Korea's presence, I don't really consider it to be glorification, but rather bringing it to the center of the spotlight to garner clicks and views, as it is a topic that would likely catch a lot of attention.
While having North and South Korea unite as one in the Olympics is a turning point in their relationship, I believe that it is important to recognize that this relationship won’t come easy. North Korea has always been by itself and suddenly bringing in South Korea would not only change the function of their economy, but it would also spark questioning from the public about safety. Moreover, the media glamorizing North Korea’s appearance at the Olympics could possibly be a step toward a better future and gradually change the negative opinions of North Korea.
I think that all of this "North Korea at the Olympics" is very, very insignificant and overthought. I would like to believe that North and South Korea competing together is a positive step in the right direction, as many have tried to say before. Yet, I truly think that at the end of it all, this is going to result in absolutely nothing. You think that North Korea is doing this because they want to show that they are willing to open up and start diplomatic relations with the rest of the world? Sike. I'd be willing to bet that it's all a ploy, that they are creating the illusion of improving relations and increasingly-open mindset because they hope that doing so will result in current sanctions being lifted. Everyone knows that their economic state is completely ruined, and that they are increasingly running out of food. Because of this, they know that they need to get those sanctions off of their back, which would require being nicer to the international community and portraying some sort of "humane" image. But actually open up and become more humanitarian? North Korea would never, ever do that. Doing so sacrifices their independence and autonomy, which seems to be the thing that Kim Jong Un and the rest of the nation values the most. Considering all of this, I think that the two Koreas competing together means nothing. It's nice for the athletes and provides stories for the media, but is completely meaningless politically and otherwise. Then again, I could be wrong. Who knows: maybe I'm just pessimistic.
It almost seems as if olympic commentators are ignoring the fact that all of these North Korean athletes are living under an oppressive regime. Its hard to say whether this should ignored or exploited in the games. On one hand the Olympics have always been a time where almost everything was set aside for the passionate world competition however this is a country that is condemned by our country and that is know to treat its people inhumanely. It feels to me that the games should be used as a platform for countries to take a stand against North Korea, instead of pretending like nothing is going on.
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