Skaters performing in North Korea

[IceIceBaby]

How is it really different? They had been holding annual international figure skating competition too until recently, used to be called Baekdusan Trophy.

Really? Did they have many foreign competitors there?

[lowtherlore]

^ Yes. It was an international event. Participants were mostly from eastern Europe countries.

[Sylvia]

Article about the 2001 Paektusan Prize competition in North Korea: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/othe...ts/1191360.stm

The Paektusan Prize International Figure Skating Festival is the longest running sporting event in North Korea's history. It dates back ten years to 1991.

It is also a rare time for foreign athletes to compete in the country.

Skaters from seven countries, Great Britain, France, Belarus, the Ukraine, the Czech Republic, China, and North Korea competed in the festival.

2001 Paektusan Prize competition results (Verner was 14 at the time & placed 4th): http://www.eiskunstlauf-ecke.de/arch...nprize01.shtml

Controversy over Tomas Verner's 2011 participation: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/blogs/pjkwo...ntroversy.html

[vexlak]

At the end of the day the politics and art (sporting art) should not be mixed.
At least they performed at front of the best dressed audience.


It's also interesting that youtube shows advertising before the video. Who is paying and who is collecting?

[TheIronLady]

It's not at all the same thing as Sonja Henie's tolerance for Nazism, because the PRK is only an aggressor to its own people. It seems true that openness and exchanges are preferable. But if North Korea's leaders ever nuke Japan, a lot of these skaters will wonder what the heck they were doing dancing for such a man.

[kwanfan1818]

Were North Korea to nuke Japan, I think these skaters would have bigger worries, like nuclear fallout, annkihilation, etc.

[TheIronLady]

Were North Korea to nuke Japan, I think these skaters would have bigger worries, like nuclear fallout, annihilation, etc.

I doubt North Korea will be capable of annihilating even itself anytime soon, but it could cause devastation in its backyard. My thought is that skating for powerful elites who you know are evil can harm your reputation.

[CoyoteChris]

I'm with you. I have a quarter that says MK and Yu-Na wont be preforming there any time soon.

I doubt North Korea will be capable of annihilating even itself anytime soon, but it could cause devastation in its backyard. My thought is that skating for powerful elites who you know are evil can harm your reputation.

[equatorial]

And come on, they get a chance to see North Korea before the regime collapses! Who wouldn't want to do that? It's number 1 thing on my dream list. And yes, I will be supporting the regime doing that but...

They sell tours to North Korea here where I live

[Ziggy]

They sell tours to North Korea here where I live

Oh yeah I know companies doing that. It's just really expensive.

[equatorial]

Oh yeah I know companies doing that. It's just really expensive.

Not really

[barbk]

I hope that North Korean skaters are allowed to compete internationally again. I remember how surprised I was at how good they were when they came to one international event a few years ago. I'm not sure that giving them the cold shoulder is of nearly the benefit that could result with opening the door even a little. Then again, I wasn't aghast when Paul Simon dared to sing in South Africa.

[barbk]

OK, having watched the video...has there ever been a figure skating crowd with more stoic faces?

Their synchro team looked good, though I don't know how synchro folks would assess it. And the little boy in lime green has lovely use of his arms.

[Sylvia]

I hope that North Korean skaters are allowed to compete internationally again.

A North Korean pair team competed at 2012 Worlds and qualified for SP but not the FS, finishing 20th: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00010432.htm
Ri/Thae's Worlds SP: http://youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=X9XJoCyAeV0

[danafan]

They also had a pairs team on the Junior Grand Prix this year, finishing 10th in their event.

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00034218.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_uTz41y53wM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpBWutLG9S0

[Ziggy]

I hope that North Korean skaters are allowed to compete internationally again. I remember how surprised I was at how good they were when they came to one international event a few years ago. I'm not sure that giving them the cold shoulder is of nearly the benefit that could result with opening the door even a little. Then again, I wasn't aghast when Paul Simon dared to sing in South Africa.

They are allowed to compete internationally.

It's a question of money or more likely the question of propaganda. You are taught all your life that imperialist countries are full of poverty and suffering and then you go abroad and you see a country much more developed than North Korea. I would imagine that they want to avoid that happening as much as possible.

[danceronice]

They are allowed to compete internationally.

It's a question of money or more likely the question of propaganda. You are taught all your life that imperialist countries are full of poverty and suffering and then you go abroad and you see a country much more developed than North Korea. I would imagine that they want to avoid that happening as much as possible.

This, plus they have a problem with defectors (people defect TO China from North Korea) so lots of international travel = lots of opportunities for athletes, coaches, officials, etc. to jump ship. I don't think most other countries forbid North Koreans from coming in, North Korea is a lot more reluctant to let them out.

Athletes from other countries going in is probably better for the 'no cold shoulder' strategy, provided they don't become useful idiots who come back merrily singing the praises of how free and wonderful the place is, like a lot of morons visiting Stalin's USSR did.

[Ziggy]

Defections are not that common because if you defect, your entire family as well as your acquaintances are sent to 'labour camps' which are basically gulags where you eventually die due to a combination of lack of food and hard labour.

But yeah that probably factors in as well.

[AndyWarhol]

I would love to go to North Korea.

[TheIronLady]

I would love to go to North Korea.

After reading Laura Ling's account of being imprisoned there, I would not risk it, but then I would be mistaken for a spy.