Sports
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How South Korea Became a Sporting Powerhouse 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan 2011 World Championships in Athletics 2012 London Summer Olympics 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics Taekwondo
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South Korea’s national team surprised the world by ranking 5th place in the medals table (gold, silver and bronze) at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. It is also worth noting that the team won the soccer bronze medal at those Games. The potential of the country’s soccer is explained by the presence of several South Korean players in European football (soccer) leagues. Also, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, the South Korean team won the gold medal for baseball with several South Korean players now enjoying great popularity among fans in the United States and Japan as members of local teams. Asians used to do poorly in figure skating, but Yuna Kim, a South Korean changed that by breaking world records in the discipline. In fencing, which used to be regarded as a sport for 2
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1. Shin-soo Choo is an outfielder for the Texas Rangers of the Major League Baseball of the United States. 2. Yuna Kim won the World Figure Skating Championships in 2013. 3. In-bee Park was selected as the LPGA Player of the Year in 2013.
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westerners and the nobility, South Korean athletes have won many medals. It is a well-known fact that many South Koreans have won both the PGA and LPGA championships. It is also noteworthy that three or four Koreans continually rank in the top ten at each LPGA championship. Formula 1 also visited Korea between 2010 and 2013 with the Korean Grand Prix held at Yeongam, Jeollanam-do, South Korea. And another international sporting event held in South Korea is the Tour de Korea, an annual professional road bicycle stage race.
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How South Korea Became a Sporting Powerhouse The most important factors behind South Korea’s transformation into a sporting powerhouse are the country’s large number of sports lovers and efficient investment. The country strives to find promising young athletes, train them efficiently, and help them build their skills by accumulating a wealth of experience in domestic competitions. There are also professional sporting facilities dedicated solely to the training of athletes selected for international events such as the Olympic Games or the Asian Games. National Sports Infrastructure Many South Korean soccer lovers gather together early in the morning of a holiday to enjoy the sport. Teams from neighboring villages often take part in games and tournaments with the number of teams composed of neighbors currently standing at about 500,000. The country’s sports infrastructure is solid and wide-ranging. Chuncheon Marathon Held in Chuncheon, Gangwon-do every October
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Changes in the number of neighborhood sports clubs and their members
93
95
98
101
98 90
83
82 75
4,554 4,132
3,646 2,702
2006
2,914
2007 Clubs
2,985
3,081
3,086
3,081
2008
2009
2010
2011
Members
2012
2013
2014
(Unit: Thousands of clubs and people/ Source: Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism)
As of 2013, the number of ordinary sports lovers’ clubs came to 4.13 million, i.e. 8.1% of the entire population. The number of soccer lovers who have joined clubs (590,000) is at the top of the list, followed by the number of members of tennis, badminton, table tennis, gate ball, and daily calisthenics clubs. Olle Trail in Jeju A hiking course in Jejudo Island “Olle” is a local word from the Jeju dialect that refers to a narrow path between a thoroughfare and the entrance of a house. Ms. Seo Myeongsuk, a journalist, started using the word for mountain hiking courses on the island after drawing inspiration from the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain. (Source: Jeju Olle Foundation)
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The government strives to encourage people to engage in more positive physical activities by providing support for sports clubs. Most sports clubs hold events from time to time. Over the past few years, the number of marathon clubs has increased drastically. In spring and fall, marathon competitions are held every weekend all over the country. An amateur marathon competition attracts thousands or even tens of thousands of participants. A relevant organization estimates the number of people engaging in jogging, running, and marathon events at somewhere between 800,000 and 4 million. More than 20,000 people, professionals and amateurs, took part in a marathon event held recently. As a mountainous country, South Korea has an ideal environment for mountain climbers and hikers. There are many mountains near large cities, enabling city dwellers to enjoy mountain climbing and hiking conveniently. The country also has
Average number of spectators attending each game of major professional sports
11,562 10,983
KISS The Korea Institute of Sport Science in Nowongu, Seoul engages in the development and distribution of physical exercise methods, research aimed at helping athletes enhance their skills, the training of future sports leaders, and comprehensive research on sports science.
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11,374
10,709 7,157
5,358
1,471 2009 Volleyball
11,429
13,747
13,055
12,873 11,402
4,575 1,472 2010 Basketball
5,400
7,656
5,687 4,092
1,744 2011 Soccer
8,115
1,744 2012 Baseball
1,525 2013
4,458 1,967 2014 (Source:MCST)
many popular rock climbing spots. In recent years, the hilly trails of Jejudo Island have emerged as a favorite destination for hikers. Amid the new hiking boom, local governments have vied with each other in their efforts to establish good hiking paths. Bike riding has also become the focus of attention as an environmentally friendly sport, and the number of cycling clubs has increased accordingly. A vast network of bike paths has been established across the country, and many people
Jincheon Training Center The training center has a facility that can accommodate 350 athletes in twelve sports (i.e. athletics, shooting, swimming, tennis, soft tennis, volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, rowing, canoeing, and rugby), ancillary facilities designed to help athletes adjust their physical condition, and convenience facilities.
now enjoy cycling along the country’s major rivers on weekends. A large number of people are attracted to professional baseball, soccer, and volleyball games. Rooting for one’s favorite team is a fun pastime. Professional baseball and soccer games are attended by 8 million and 3 million people, respectively, each year. Collaboration of Sports and Science At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, a South Korean won the gold medal in the vault final. This achievement was the result of collaboration between science and sports. Sports scientists studied what the optimal conditions should be to pull through the hardest skills. They reached the conclusion that the optimal time span for an athlete to touch the vaulting horse was 0.15 seconds and that the optimal angle between arm and body was 22 degrees in order to stay in the air longer and make more rapid turns. The South Korean athlete was able to win the gold medal as a result of training based on optimal conditions suited to his body structure. The Korea Institute of Sport Science (KISS) employs experts in sports dynamics, psychology, physiology, and so on. These specialists help athletes to achieve the best possible results in 173
competitions. Five experts accompanied the national team during the 2012 London Summer Olympics. There are sixteen sportsrelated societies in the country in total, all of which exchange information through an integrated computer system. Korea has many practice and training facilities, including the Taereung Training Center in Seoul. The center in Taereung is equipped with training facilities, running tracks, indoor and outdoor courts, an indoor swimming pool that meet international standards, and a dormitory for 300 athletes. In 2011, the country built a new training facility in Jincheon, Chungcheongbuk-do for athletes selected for international events. Among those who practiced here were the winners of gold and silver medals in track and field, swimming, and rifle shooting at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. The facility in Jincheon will be expanded to accommodate up to 800 athletes in 25 sports. Another facility specializing in the enhancement of athletes’ cardiopulmonary functions is in Hambaeksan Mountain near Taebaek.
1988 Seoul Summer Olympics The 24th Summer Olympic Games were held in Seoul in 1988, with a record number of athletes (8,391 from 159 countries) Emblem of the 1988 Olympics The emblem was designed based on the triple Taegeuk, a traditional pattern handed down among Koreans for many generations. The pattern has been widely used in entrances to private houses and handicrafts. It was used to symbolize wishes for the promotion of peace through the Olympics.
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attending the event. The Games adopted “reconciliation and progress� as the basic spirit. The organizing committee set the following objectives: participation of the largest number of athletes, worldwide harmony, best results, safety, and cost saving. South Korea became the 16th country (and only the 2nd in Asia) to host the Summer Olympic Games. The competitions were held in 23 formal disciplines and 2 demonstration sports. South Korea ranked 4th overall, winning 12 gold medals, 10
silver medals, and 11 bronze medals The 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics were significant in that they were focused on reconciliation between the Western and Eastern Blocs, after the Western Bloc’s boycotting of the 1980 Moscow Olympics and the Eastern Bloc’s retaliatory boycotting of the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The event in Seoul transcended ideological conflict and racial discrimination pursuant to the Olympic Charter, and served as an occasion for publicizing the
Red Devils’ take to the Streets After their enthusiastic support for their national team in red T shirts during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan, South Korean sports fans acquired the nickname Red Devils. It is said that about half of all South Koreans took part in the supporting events during the 2002 tournament.
status of the country’s economic development and traditional culture, and the potential of Koreans worldwide.
2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Held for 31 days (May 31 to June 30), the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan was the first World Cup to be jointly hosted by two countries. It was also the first World Cup Tournament to
South Koreans supporting the national team in front of Seoul City Hall during the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan. Many foreigners said that they were deeply impressed by the fans’ enthusiasm and unity.
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be held outside Europe and the Americas. The event produced a series of unexpected results, of which the most unexpected was probably South Korea’s remarkable success in reaching the semi-finals. The event also served as an occasion to reveal another aspect of South Koreans to people all over the world: soccer fans in red T shirts enthusiastically supporting their national team. Tens of thousands of fans fervently cheering on their team in the dead of night created quite a sight. During the South Korean team’s match against Germany for 4th place, a total of 6.5 million people filled the streets nationwide to cheer on their national team.
2011 World Athletics Championships The event was held in Daegu, the country’s third largest city, from August 27 to September 4, 2011, with more than 100 million spectators over the world. Daegu Stadium is also the venue where many other international sports competitions, including the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan and the 2003 Summer Universiade, were held. During the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, the stadium’s high-definition electric signboard displayed minute differences of hundredths of a second in the athletes’ times, presenting vivid scenes of an athletics competition to spectators 1
all over the world.
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1. Competitors in the steeplechase at the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu. 2. The South Korean national team enters the stadium for the Opening Ceremony of the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
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2012 London Summer Olympics At the 2012 London Summer Olympics, South Korea took 5th place in terms of the number of gold, silver, and bronze medals it won. Among Asian countries, Korea ranked 2nd only after China. South Korean athletes won 13 gold, 8 silver and 7 bronze
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South Korean Medalists in the 2012 London Summer Olympics Ki Bo-bae (Archery) Ki Bo-bae won two gold medals in the women’s individual and team archery events.
Park Tae-hwan (Swimming) Park Tae-hwan won two silver medals in the men’s 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle.
Kim Jang-mi (Shooting) Kim Jang-mi won the gold medal in the women’s 25m pistol event.
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Choi In-jeong (Fencing) The country’s fencing team achieved notable results at the 2012 London Summer Olympics. Choi In-jeong won a silver medal in the women’s epee team event.
Kim Jae-bum (Judo) Kim Jae-bum won a gold medal in the men’s 73-81kg category at the World Championship and the 2012 London Summer Olympics.
Yang Hak-seon (Gymnastics) Yang Hak-seon presented the country with a gold medal in gymnastics. He ranked the highest score of 7.4 with his 1,080-degree, triple vault twist.
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medals in archery, rifle shooting, fencing, gymnastics, judo, and swimming. It is noteworthy that the country won gold medals in various men’s individual, women’s individual, and women’s team events, and won the bronze medal in a men’s team event. In rifle shooting, the country won 3 gold medals and 2 silver medals, letting the world know that it is a powerhouse in rifle shooting. One archer and one rifle shooter won two gold medals each. The country also won 2 gold medals in judo and a gold medal in wrestling. More than any other country, the South Korean team surprised the world in the London Olympics, with only the three sporting superpowers and the host nation exceeding the South Korean performance. To win six medals in fencing, once regarded as a sport for Western aristocrats, is quite remarkable, but perhaps the most notable achievement of South Korea’s national team was the gold medal won in artistic gymnastics on the pommel horse. Yang Hak-seon presented the country with its first gold medal in the Olympic history of pommel horse, displaying great skill. In Taekwondo, in which the country used to win many gold meals, the team won only one gold medal, apparently as a result of the sport’s adoption by many other countries. For its participation in the 2012 London Summer Olympics the motto of the South Korean national team was “From London to London”, referring to the team’s return to London after the 1948 London Olympic Games. It also refers to the shift in the country’s status from a foreign aid recipient to an aid donor in just 64 years and its wish to share the wealth and experience accumulated by it with other countries. 180
2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be held between 9th and 25th February 2018. Pyeongchang’s bids to host the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics failed, but the city finally made it at the third attempt for 2018. Thus, South Korea became the host of the Olympic Games once again after the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics. The 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics will be the second winter Olympics held in Asia after the Games held in Nagano, Japan in 1998. The Summer and Winter Olympic Games, the FIFA World Cup, and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics are said to be the four most important international sporting events. South Korea will be the sixth country to have hosted all of them by 2018 -
2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics IOC President Jacques Rogge announces Pyeongchang as the Host City for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.
after France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Russia.
Taekwondo Originated in Korea, Taekwondo is a martial art of self-defence in which the competitors use both their hands and feet. In ancient times, Koreans practiced Taekwondo as a mandatory preparation for war. With the passage of time, Taekwondo gradually became a folk sport. In 1971, it was designated as Korea’s national sport. In 1973, the 1st World Taekwondo Championship were held in Seoul and in 1980, the IOC adopted it as an official event of the Olympic Games. It has grown into an international sport with around 100 million participants globally. Taekwondo stresses the importance of spiritual discipline and for this reason it enjoys popularity among both men and women. 181
A Taekwondo demonstration in Times Square, New York
The South Korean government assists with the dispatching of Taekwondo masters worldwide. Active UN Peacekeeping Forces teach Taekwondo to local residents in disputed territories, where they are stationed. In many parts of the world, Taekwondo is
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viewed as a symbol of South Korea. As for its educational effects associated with spiritual discipline and tenacity, Taekwondo is emerging as an option for the treatment of young people suffering from addictions.
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