Concerns about the 2018 Winter Olympics

[skatingguy]

Didn't the North Korean pairs team compete at 4CC last year in Pyeongchang? And I believe the team spent some time this summer training in Montreal, per either Castelli or Tran's (can't remember which) Instagram.

Yes, the team just missed qualifying for the Olympics at Worlds last year, but they are on the entry list for Nebelhorn. I believe they are the only NK athletes from across all sports still with a shot at qualifying for 2018.

They didn't compete at the 4CC last season in Pyeonchang but they did compete at the 4CC event last year. You may be thinking of the Asian Winter Games - they were the bronze medalists last February at that event.

 

[Winnipeg]

Sad situation.....one calls the other a name, the other calls back with a nasty name, the other calls back.........sounds like a schoolyard name calling but with such dire consequences potentially

 

[kalamalka]

I'm not particularly concerned about the safety of athletes or others during the Olympics. North Korea's threats recently have been primarily directed at the US, and I doubt they have an interest in an attack that would involve so many other countries.
The escalating belligerence of the two leaders is very worrying, though, for the sake of the world in general and the 51 million South Koreans in particular. My daughter is currently in grad school in Seoul (until the end of the year), and I will be visiting her for most of October. Last February when we were planning this trip I'd naively hoped that there would be some resolution by now, instead of continued escalation. However, as noted in the originally linked article, the Canadian government is not expressing any concerns about travel to South Korea, and I gather most Koreans are not any more worried than usual. The Korean agency funding Carmen's grad program asked the group (from 17 developing countries) at a meeting last week if their families were concerned about the situation, and many said yes.

 

[BittyBug]

I can't imagine that any plan B could realistically happen. We're now barely 6 months away, how could any other country possibly mount such a massive event in such a short time? Seems like it's South Korea or nothing.

Maybe Russia? I believe all the facilities are still in place in Sochi and Russia certainly managed to host a World Figure Skating Championship on short notice. That's obviously a much smaller scale, but I could see Putin mobilizing resources to make it happen. He might even ride into town on a horse shirtless.

 

[Willin]

South Korea has already stated that they will be allowing North Korean athletes in to compete for the Olympics, so I don't think NK athletes being barred is a concern. (In fact, before this started bubbling up over the summer, SK asked if NK wanted to be involved in hosting an event or two)

 

[Tinami Amori]

Nothing drastic will happen with North Korea. Let them shake their fists, and confiscate/evacuate all their dogs.

 

[allezfred]

Yes, I began a thread specifically about the impacts on the upcoming OWG in one of the premium fora but it was shut down because there already was a general Korean Tensions thread in "Politically Incorrect." I absolutely agree that the issue merits its own thread. I applaud you for starting one here. Hopefully it will stay up this time & not be shut down by the censors!

You started a thread with a deliberately inflammatory title based solely on your own opinions. Great Skate Debate is for news. The thread was closed and you were invited to take the topic to a thread where it was being discussed. That is not censorship. Next.

 

[chattila]

Pairs team Ryom/Kim skated at the last Worlds in Helsinki.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Se_8aeBZ4kY

A DPRK skater in Ladies' Singles competed at the 2006 Torino Oly Winter Games.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=217d1dmSY70

I trust that the IOC is taking extraordinary measures to protect the upcoming Games. So much hope and $$$ is invested by media, advertisers, etc., that I'm sure that "powers" are trying to minimize negative impacts. The most important thing is that athletes, coaches, visitors, citizens be safe...not commercial interests.

How can Games truly be "games" in a stressful environment? We don't want any of that.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

North Korea's threats recently have been primarily directed at the US

Yes, but their threat against USA means bombing S. Korea (and also allies like Japan) not necessarily hitting USA ground.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Yes, but their threat against USA means bombing S. Korea (and also allies like Japan) not necessarily hitting USA ground.

If there is even an indication of that, Kim Jong-un will be assassinated before he gives such command. He came in snipers' range several times before, but the decision was made not to shoot.

 

[Jammers]

Countries not going to the Olympics because of this clown is exactly what that fat little bastard in NK wants. He's all talk and imagine how uncontrollable he'll be if major countries like France cave in.

 

[skatingguy]

Countries not going to the Olympics because of this clown is exactly what that fat little bastard in NK wants. He's all talk and imagine how uncontrollable he'll be if major countries like France cave in.

I don't think that Kim Jong Un is thinking about the Olympics. His actions are entirely about Donald Trump. He provokes Trump with missile tests shortly after Trump is inaugurated and then just keeps upping the anti every time Trump does. As he does this, he makes Trump look more and more ridiculous and the international community says a pox on both of your houses. People in South Korea, according to recent polling, are far more worried about what actions Trump will take and are not concerned about the actions of the North Korean regime. His end goal is to divide the US form its allies. He wants the US troops out of South Korea and he wants to turn public opinion in South Korea against the US to accomplish that goal.

 

[Willin]

Kim Jong Un has a lot of other thinks to think about other than the Olympics - a massive famine related to a drought, sanctions cutting imports (and cutting $$$ to his top leaders), problems with loyalty in his advisers, Trump's threats, etc. One of the only ways he's keeping NK together is through propaganda and displays of military might. That's what the missile launches are about - showing that the regime is powerful not to us, but to his own people. If they actually send a missile into a country (particularly the US), they'll risk a war that they likely don't have the supplies to get anywhere close to winning.
They're also on shaky ground with China and Russia as it is due to their recent actions, and I'm sure Kim Jong Un knows that. If they attack the Olympics, they'll be near guaranteed to kill some of China and Russia's top athletes which will likely do away with any good will or political/economic motivations China and Russia have to protect the regime. They'll also probably be facing a war against the US and NATO.

Of course, another reason for NK not to attack the Olympics - if they can have athletes go and win medals, they can use that as propaganda by saying "look, our athletes are superior to the Americans/Europeans." Not to mention that North Korea's state news has, in the past, faked an article about the NK team getting to the World Cup final, so by bombing an Olympics so close to their own country they'd be risking a propaganda opportunity to overexaggerate their performance there.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Vancouver has said 4 yrs ago that they would be ready to host last minute should Sochi had been pulled over human rights.

That works.

 

[starrynight]

Countries not going to the Olympics because of this clown is exactly what that fat little bastard in NK wants. He's all talk and imagine how uncontrollable he'll be if major countries like France cave in.

I get the impression that North Korea likes to create disruption and show the world it can make itself be noticed and that it has power over other countries. There's a universe of difference between destabilising South Korea's attempts at holding successful, profitable Olympics and actually initiating war. I can only imagine given North Korea's track record, that putting the rest of the world on its toes during an extremely high profile event would be irresistible.

I don't expect North Korea to commence actual military aggression during the Olympics (utterly suicidal), but I certainly don't think they will be going gently into that good night with all the world's media stationed on their doorstep. I read an article where an expert suggested North Korea might just do something like switch out all the lights in South Korea one night during the Olympics... so there's other ways they could interfere.

 

[Japanfan]

Of course, another reason for NK not to attack the Olympics - if they can have athletes go and win medals, they can use that as propaganda by saying "look, our athletes are superior to the Americans/Europeans."

Does NK have any athletes with podium potential?

 

[Willin]

@Japanfan Nope. And no one has qualified yet. But, their propaganda game is strong and they have been known to use it to overstate performance in sporting events.

ETA: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...-koreans-theyre-worse/?utm_term=.750564268d35 North Korea's use of the Olympics for National Pride. (The only show events in which NK athletes participated and presumably did well)

 

[DreamSkates]

I am quite sure all the political issues with No. Korea will be solved before end of this year.

With Trump's threat to annihilate North Korea? Talk about causing tension to escalate, or Trump is trying to bully Kim into backing down.
Off the political side - it does seem a precarious situation, and unsafe for attenders. However, I think Kim is aiming the missiles at the US (Guam first, why a missile went over Japan), and not at other countries nearby.
Would be a huge disappointment to so many, if Olympics were cancelled. Hope Kim and Trump can call a truce for the month.

 

[skatingguy]

With Trump's threat to annihilate North Korea? Talk about causing tension to escalate, or Trump is trying to bully Kim into backing down.
Off the political side - it does seem a precarious situation, and unsafe for attenders. However, I think Kim is aiming the missiles at the US (Guam first, why a missile went over Japan), and not at other countries nearby.
Would be a huge disappointment to so many, if Olympics were cancelled. Hope Kim and Trump can call a truce for the month.

Kim doesn't need the nuclear weapons to destroy South Korea. The estimates that I've seen is that if a war started the North Koreans would be able to kill approximately 20 million people in the south before US missiles would get to North Korea.

 

[Debbie S]

Given Trump's ego, he would never do anything intentionally/knowingly) to jeopardize the Olys. He wants the U.S. competing and winning medals (he may be unaware that the Winter Olys sports are generally not ones the U.S. excels at, as opposed to the Summer Olys sports).

 

[Spiralgraph]

What is also a possibility is that the US withdraws from the Olympics much like when Jimmy Carter pulled us out of the 1980 Summer Games in the Soviet Union. I don't think Trump will do that unless it's a matter of protecting American lives or Trump's convinced of that. To me it's fifty fifty odds whether the Olympics are held. I'm usually an optimist, so I'm hopeful cooler and wiser heads will prevail.

 

[Willin]

@Spiralgraph The USOC is not run by the US Government - it is entirely independent - so the President has no authority to decide whether or not US athletes compete. He can recommend that they not go, but ultimately it's up to the USOC.

In 1980, the government recommended a boycott to the USOC, who were not required to comply. After their own deliberation the USOC ultimately decided to respect that recommendation and boycott the games.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Hope Kim and Trump can call a truce for the month.

Next time they are playing checkers, and one of them cheats, then we can hope for truce.

Otherwise the current situation is a multi-level, multi-national, multi-agenda, half-a-century+ on going issue, which does not only affect direct relations between N. Korea and a set of countries, but certain dynamics (economic, political, territorial, military) between and within other countries as well (for example a future and terms of US Military presence, and economics of it, in Japan, S. Korea and other South Pacific geo-location.)

 

[Tesla]

Aliona will cut a b!tch if the Olympics get cancelled.

 

[DimaToe]

It's kind of sad that a group of men with overblown egos and small d!ck syndrome are putting a long tradition in jeopardy. The beauty of the Olympics is that athletes get to show of their lifetime of hard work, the general public gets to forget the other bullsh!t going on in the world and one of our future Olympic champions get the inspiration to go for their newfound dream. I hope the games in PyeongChang go smoothly but I fully understand why there is so much concern about the games

 

[tylersf]

Incheon - the size of the ruler that they will use to measure each other....

Hopefully the two psychomaniacs in charge will stop having a dick-measuring contest and everything will be fine, but with the brainless idiot in charge of the US continuing to take the troll bait I doubt that will happen anytime soon.

 

[aftershocks]

Not to nitpick, but don't you mean the 1972 Munich Olympics?

Thanks for the correction! It's not a nitpick to correct such an inaccuracy.

 

[love_skate2011]

this is getting ridiculous

North Koreans are holding huge anti-U.S. rally at Kim Il Sung Square

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-pyongyang-holds-anti-u-s-rally-idUSKCN1BZ02M

Trump should just shut his mouth, every response to the fat bully is playing into Kim's hands

 

[skatingguy]

this is getting ridiculous

North Koreans are holding huge anti-U.S. rally at Kim Il Sung Square

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...-pyongyang-holds-anti-u-s-rally-idUSKCN1BZ02M

Trump should just shut his mouth, every response to the fat bully is playing into Kim's hands

I'm sorry - you'll have to clarify who the 'fat bully' is in this situation. It's a description that could apply to either 45 or Kim.

 

[Spiralgraph]

@Spiralgraph The USOC is not run by the US Government - it is entirely independent - so the President has no authority to decide whether or not US athletes compete. He can recommend that they not go, but ultimately it's up to the USOC.

In 1980, the government recommended a boycott to the USOC, who were not required to comply. After their own deliberation the USOC ultimately decided to respect that recommendation and boycott the games.

Thanks, Willin,
I was unaware of that. But I can imagine what kind of angry response Trump would have if the USOC did not abide by his wishes. The athletes would suffer, they always do.