Apologize.”
South Korea and North Korea’s women’s basketball team competed in the Asian Games. The result was Korea’s victory. Only the first quarter was difficult, but they overwhelmed North Korea from the second quarter. And after the game, something strange happened. Officials of the ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’ suddenly took action.
Korea won a landslide victory of 81-62 through the performances of Park Ji-soo, Kang I-seul, and Kim Dan-bi in the second match of the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games Women’s Basketball Group C match against North Korea held at the Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China on the 29th.
The first quarter was not easy. It looked disorganized, and both offense and defense were lost. They came back to life in the second quarter. Park Ji-su dominated the bottom of the goal and even shot a 3-pointer from the outside. Kang I-seul’s 3-point shot also sparked fire, and Kim Dan-bi led the team by going in and out. Park Ji-hyun’s reading also stood out. The harmony was well achieved, and the result was a landslide victory.
A cheering squad of about 100 people came from North Korea, and the spectators on site also unilaterally cheered for North Korea. When North Korea did well, it was filled with cheers and shouts. As Korea ran away after successfully reversing the situation, it became not only quiet, but even serene.
There was a player on the other side who clearly caught the eye. Jinah Park is 205cm tall. With his height and power, he clearly showed his presence under the Korean goal. On this day, Jinah Park exploded with 29 points and 17 rebounds.
After the game, I asked coach Seon-min Jeong about Jin-ah Park’s play. Then, “It’s a pity that there isn’t a player like that in Korea. “If he were our player, he would be able to cross the Great Wall of China (China).”
Park Ji-soo also said, “I thought it would be difficult, but it was more difficult than he thought. “He is a good player,” he explained. He was that impressed. He knew how to take advantage of his height. It also has power. He was born in 2003 and is still a young player. He has room to get better as he goes along.
In this way, Korea evaluated its opponent highly. However, North Korea was slightly different. It looks like they started a fight for no reason.
At the official press conference after the game, a foreign reporter asked North Korean coach Jeong Seong-sim. ‘Five years ago, we played as a single team, but this time we played as opponents. ‘How do you feel?’ he asked.
Then, a man sitting next to director Seongsim Jeong took the microphone. He seemed like an official. After saying, “Can I speak for you about that?” he said, “I don’t think that part has anything to do with this game.” Because it was uncomfortable, I avoided answering openly.레고토토
Afterwards, a domestic reporter said, ‘The North Korean cheering squad gave passionate cheering. I wonder how you felt. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to an international convention, so I’m curious about what kind of food you like,” he asked.
The questions went to coaches and players. However, this time, this official took the microphone. He suddenly started speaking English. “We are not North Korea. “All countries call it ‘DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea),’” he said.
He continued, “This is wrong. I have to apologize. “At the Asian Games, all country names must be called correctly,” he added. The atmosphere suddenly calmed down, and of course there was no answer to the question. The on-site reporters were beyond embarrassed and even burst into laughter.
He expressed his displeasure with the expression ‘North Korea.’ If it were said in North Korean rather than English, it would be something like, “It should be called the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, not North Korea.”
I asked the coach and the players, and it seemed like the person was angry. He only appears to have come to his senses after losing badly.
There has been a tendency to be obsessed with the word ‘North Korea’ since the past. If you say ‘North’, there is no problem. Of course, if you say ‘Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’, there is no room for fault.
However, if you look at it the other way around, North Korea does not refer to South Korea as Korea. To be precise, it should be called ‘Republic of Korea’, but it is safe to say that no one calls it that. Rather, it should be seen that the word ‘South Korea’ is used more.
It is an expression that can be offensive to Korean people. However, there are very few cases where international conventions publicly demand an apology or scold people not to call themselves that.
North Korean players also completely ignored South Korean players. Ro Sook-young and Kim Hye-yeon, who played as a single team five years ago, came again this time. However, it seems like they are treating an invisible person.
Park Ji-su said, “Five years ago, we played together as a single team in Jakarta. “I thought it would be nice to see him again after five years, but he couldn’t even say hello,” he said.
Kang Yi-seul also said, “I was upset because it seemed like he was intentionally avoiding me. He didn’t make eye contact and didn’t even give a high five at the end. Even when I called, he didn’t look at me. “There was nothing to catch me when I fell during the game,” he explained.