Controversial skating race judging and hanbok appropriation condemned by candidates
The anti-China sentiment is rising in South Korea ahead of the March 9 presidential election after the controversial disqualifications of Korean short track speed skaters at the Beijing Winter Olympics and the controversial display of Korean traditional clothing as part of Chinese culture.
Many commentators speculate that this sentiment, which is highest among those in their 20s and 30s, will impact the election as the current ruling party appeared to show a meek attitude toward Beijing in the past. The top two presidential candidates from the left and right understand how serious the anger among Koreans toward China is, and expressed their regret over the controversial disqualifications.
Olympic record-holder Hwang Dae-heon and Lee June-seo were disqualified from the men’s 1,000-meter race at the Beijing Olympics on Monday night. China took the gold and silver medals and Hungary the bronze. Hwang finished first in his heat and Lee came in second in his, but both were disqualified after lengthy video reviews. Referees said Hwang made an illegal late pass that caused contact with a Chinese skater, and that Lee made a lane change that caused contact with another skater.
Both disqualifications were controversial, as Hwang, in particular, was being penalized for an infraction despite also appearing to have been pushed by a Chinese skater during the race. The Chinese skater was not penalized. Short track speed skating has long been South Korea’s best winter sport. It has won 24 Olympic gold medals to date, the most of any nation.
The appearance of a woman wearing hanbok, or traditional Korean dress, at the opening ceremony of the Olympics on Friday, has also sparked public furor in South Korea over what many believe to be a Chinese claim to Korean heritage and culture. The woman was among the representatives of ethnic minorities in China, as many Koreans live in Northeast China.
Some commentators in the South Korean media speculated that anti-China sentiment will be one of the key issues ahead of the presidential election. This is even more likely since the top two candidates already clashed over the deployment of an additional Terminal Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) U.S. antimissile system during their first debate last week. The initial deployment of this antimissile system in 2017 was met by fierce economic retaliation by Beijing.
Yoon Seok-youl, the presidential candidate of the conservative main opposition People Power Party (PPP), said that the current ruling Democratic Party (DP) is pursuing pro-China policies and has a servile attitude toward Beijing. Yoon added that he plans on buying an additional THAAD system from the United States and deploying it near the greater Seoul region.
Lee Jae-myung, the presidential candidate from the DP, argued that Yoon is trying to cause conflict with China and North Korea by mentioning the deployment of an additional THAAD system. Lee said that “we need to improve our strategic relationship with China,” and that the deployment would cause further economic retaliation from Beijing and ruin South Korea’s economy.
Lee wrote on his Facebook shortly after Monday night’s short track race that he is disappointed and angry over the biased judgment by the referees. He told reporters the next day that Chinese authorities should think seriously about the issue.
An official from the ruling DP told the media that Lee made such comments shortly after the race to show that he is different from the image of the current pro-China Moon administration. The official said that “the current administration has been criticized for showing a servile attitude particularly toward China, so there was concern that the whole ruling party could have been framed as pro-China by the opposition party for taking a vague stance toward the disqualification issue in Beijing.”
In fact, Ahn Cheol-soo, the presidential candidate from the moderate People Party, attacked Lee during the debate. Ahn said Lee’s previous comments indicated he is pro-China and anti-America.
Shortly after the opening ceremony where a woman in hanbok appeared, Lee said that he does not understand why a “big country” would do such a thing. The opposition party called Lee’s comment absurd, as a presidential candidate is calling China a big country, which could remind people of the time when the small country Korea had to pay a tribute to the big country China.
Yoon Seok-youl met with reporters on Tuesday and showed his disappointment over the short track race. “Sportsmanship is how children learn fair rules of sports while growing up and eventually learn about democracy,” Yoon said. “I am concerned that many children are disappointed by this Olympics and question its fairness.”
When asked about the recent increase in anti-China sentiment, Yoon said as a presidential candidate, he cannot mention unfavorable sentiment toward a particular country. “However, I think that the people have that sentiment because we failed to establish a relationship that is mutually beneficial and respectful with each other.”
Some commentators argued that anti-China sentiment reminds them of the anti-America sentiment at the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, which was held before the 2002 presidential election in South Korea. At that time, South Koreans alleged that their gold medal had been stolen by an American competitor during the 1,500-meter short track speed skating race. Kim Dong-sung from Korea finished first and took a victory lap with the national flag. But suddenly, the referees announced that the gold would go to his American opponent, Apolo Anton Ohno, as Kim was disqualified for blocking Ohno on the last lap.
This was followed by a traffic accident where two middle school female students were killed by a U.S. armored vehicle. Some people gathered in the street to protest, calling for the withdrawal of the U.S. forces at that time. Roh Moo-hyun, then-candidate from the liberal camp, even asked “what is wrong with being anti-American?” Lee Hoi-chang, who was the conservative candidate, was attacked for his pro-America policies and eventually lost the election.
The presidential candidates’ comments seem in line with popular opinion. A survey by the JoongAng Ilbo from November to December of 1,031 Koreans aged 18 or over found that six out of 10 Koreans in their 20s and 30s feel unfavorably about China.
