오랜 만에 Korea Times지 대표이사로 부임한 오영진 CEO로 부터 한통의 전화가 걸려왔다.
최근 Hot Issue가 되고 있는 독도문제 해결방안에 대한 의견을 담은 글을 써 줄 것을 부탁했다.
다음은 Korea Times지에 실린 필자의 글이다.
<Tokyo urged to delete Dokdo from torch relay map>
By Yoon Kang-ro
If and when we understand each other and accept the facts, there will be no conflict, nor contention. The Dokdo issue perhaps could rather serve as a "bridge over the troubled waters" between Korea and Japan through the Tokyo Olympic Games slated for this summer. And Korea and Japan will hopefully become good neighbors.
It is my sincere wish that the Dokdo issue will serve that purpose between the two neighboring countries beyond short-sighted self-interest. I would like to call it a true sense of the Olympic values of "Excellence, Friendship and Respect." The Tokyo Olympics is not about Dokdo contention, but about a legacy of harmony, progress and world peace.
The Tokyo Olympics organizing committee is still under increasing public pressure in Japan as to whether to go ahead with the Games or otherwise due to COVID-19 pandemic. It is reported that the scheduled gala reception for VIP guests from various countries at the closing ceremonies of the Tokyo 2020 Games could be cancelled, despite being an excellent opportunity for Japan as the host country to make the best use of the occasion to promote and enhance its diplomatic prowess to the whole world.
In addition, 10,000 Olympic volunteers tendered their resignation. This is, indeed, a bad omen for an Olympic host country staging the global games. Under any circumstances, Japan has a solemn duty to respect an Olympics spirit free from political maneuvering, by no longer posting the map showing the route of the Olympic torch relay which includes Dokdo as a small dot above its Shimane Prefecture.
As soon as such a map appeared on the Tokyo Olympics official website, it prompted a protest in Korea, with some even calling even for an Olympic boycott. It is reported that quite recently Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korean Sports and Olympic Committee sent an official letter to the International Olympic Committee (IOC), urging its "active mediation role" in this matter.
As expected, Tokyo has rejected requests from Korea to eliminate Dokdo from the Tokyo Olympics website. The map issue appeared to have particularly irritated the Korean public recalling that Dokdo was not shown on a flag of the Korean Peninsula when an inter-Korean delegation carried it at the opening ceremony for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games in consideration of Japan.
As noted, Dokdo was removed from the Korea Unification Flag after Korea accepted an IOC request that followed a strong complaint from Japan. At that time the IOC asked the PyeongChang 2018 Organizing Committee to respect the guidelines on political neutrality which the IOC had set as its policy in relation to world political matters.
But for the Tokyo Summer Games, it does not seem to be the case of an equal application of political neutrality by the IOC in response to the request from Korea. Nevertheless, as of now, I do not want to call this a double standard by the IOC. In this context, I would like to give the IOC the benefit of doubt, because IOC President Thomas Bach is a proven world leader with balanced thought to pursue his policy of "Unity in Diversity," where applicable.
How to move the IOC to resolve Dokdo issue
The Olympics is the one and only tool to unite people beyond political differences. The Olympic Games have come a long way in society as a remedy to solve insolvable issues. As IOC President Bach once mentioned, "At this moment in time, no other event brings the entire world together in peace, like the Olympic Games. The Olympic Games are the best expression of our values in action."
The Olympic Games must be beyond all political tensions. They must not be a tool for political maneuvering. The Olympic Games must be seen as a stage for dialogue. They are a symbol of hope and for peace. This is the message the Olympic movement promotes. In this way, the Olympic Games can play an important part to promote friendship, peace and solidarity through sport in the post-coronavirus world.
Aristotle once said, "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." It is still unclear why while the IOC prohibits the use of the "Hakenkreuz," a symbol of Nazi Germany under Hitler, it tends to fail to notice using cheering equipment for the Japanese team showcasing the symbolic design of a war crime from World War II, called the "Flag of the Rising Sun."
Should the Korean government decide to boycott the Olympics, the victims will evidently be Korean athletes who have prepared for the Tokyo Games for such a long time. However, under such unfair circumstances in relation to the Dokdo issue, it would also be difficult to insist that the Korean team should participate in the Games, because it would give an undue and wrong impression to the whole world as it might put more weight on Japan's claim to Dokdo as its territory.
In my opinion, it would be much more effective for two Korean IOC members to write a letter appealing to all their colleagues -- IOC members and International Federations heads as well as the global media -- in order to persuade them with the precedent set at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Games. It would, then, move the IOC to interact with the global reaction in a fair and due direction.
As Winston Churchill once said, "Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference, and now this is not the end, it is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning." At the same time, it reminds me of a Korean movie titled "It is not completely over until finally concluded."
Yoon Kang-ro, Ph.D., is president of the International Sport Diplomacy Institute.
