[KS] Sport in North Korea / 2011 TV documentary (online)

Sun Jul 10 23:42:21 EDT 2011

Dear Werner,

Thank you for your comments. While I think ideological training in  
North Korea differs both in content and quantity from that of most  
other places, I take your point that such training (what we in the US  
used to call "civic education" and in South Korea is still called  
"morals") is hardly unique to the DPRK.

By chance, I shared a plane ride with the DPRK women's football team  
when I flew from Pyongyang to Beijing last month, as they were on  
their way to Germany. They were very hesitant to meet with our group  
of American visitors, probably anticipating that it would be bad luck  
for their World Cup performance. Unfortunately they may have been  
correct. best,

Charles
-- 
Charles K. Armstrong
Professor of History
Director, Center for Korean Research
Columbia University
930 International Affairs Building
420 West 118th Street
New York, NY 10027

Tel: 212-854-1721
Fax: 212-749-1497

Quoting Werner Sasse <werner_sasse at hotmail.com>:

>
> Thank you, Frank, definitely a film worth seeing. It was also fun to  
>  watch "at the side" in the parts showing street scenes, not looking  
>  at what the commentary told me to watch but rather looking at what   
> else can be seen, how the people move, how they are clothed,   
> a.s.o.Now two remarks made me think and wonder about how "the   
> censor's scissor in our own head" might influence reports about   
> N-Kor (connotation is the problem). While I am definitely not at all  
>  positively impressed (do I really have to stress that?, but anyway)  
>  by the way the society is run, I am still in favour of trying to be  
>  critical about what I can see and how I interpret it.
> One remark always comes in reports about N-Kor: "not being able to   
> leave the hotel by myself without somebody / some guard coming with   
> me", or some similar remark. I have been to Pyongyang only 4 times,   
> and the last time is years ago. However, every time I was told not   
> to leave the hotel on my own. My stereotype reaction then always was  
>  to act normal: ask why, brush aside that I might " loose my way in   
> the unknown city ", and leave the hotel for extensive walks around   
> the city whenever I felt like it without anybody interfering. Only   
> once I was stopped, asked where I was going, and when I declined   
> company, they just let me go anyway. QUESTION: Has anyone really   
> been stopped from acting normal, that is, taking a walk if and   
> whenever he/she likes? The other remark that made me think was   
> something like "ideologizing the children" in school. Now, of   
> course, I thoroughly dislike the ideology there, still ...teaching   
> the kids the norms the grown-ups and the education administration   
> want them to internalize, is not different from what is happening in  
>  our schools. Not the "teaching the ideology" is what we can object   
> against, it is the ideology itself. But putting the ways they are   
> taught into the center only helps exoticizing N-Kor (and I do not   
> have to point to Christian schools with crosses at the wall and   
> prayers before lessons, also the secular schools teach ideologies   
> like our-way-of-democracy, free trade, and what-not). Definitely not  
>  a question of good-or-bad, for us outsiders only a subject of   
> explaining, pointing out possible results/dangers, and then say "it   
> is not my way") The military-like drilling of kids is based on   
> militarism. Let us remember: the military-like drilling was part of   
> our education 150-100 years ago in Europe and is the origin of   
> today's physical training... O.k. I just would like to have more   
> reports about N=Kor with less judging and more explaining..Best,   
> Werner Sasse By the way, I liked your stuff about ModArt in Korea,   
> and how it is presented... > Date: Sat, 9 Jul 2011 14:24:35 -0700
>> To: koreanstudies at koreaweb.ws
>> From: hoffmann at koreaweb.ws
>> Subject: [KS] Sport in North Korea / 2011 TV documentary (online)
>>
>> Some of you might be interested in this German TV documentary about
>> sport in North Korea, produced in relation with the Women's World Cup
>> that's going on in Germany right now. (The Japanese team just won
>> against the German team. Ouch!)
>>
>> This fine documentary, "Sport in Nordkorea," is really worth viewing,
>> in my opinion, and you can watch it online:
>>
>> http://www.ardmediathek.de/ard/servlet/content/3517136?documentId=7651064
>>
>> (Clicking the usual icon on the lower left of the screen gets you the
>> full-screen view.)
>>
>> TITLE:      "Sport in Nordkorea"
>> Directors:  Hajo Seppelt and Robert Kempe
>> with cooperation of Nataly Jung-Hwa Han
>> (39 minutes)
>> WDR 2011
>> (Are you on this list, Nataly? Warmest greetings!... has been almost
>> 20 years..)
>>
>> At least two players of the North Korean soccer team, as you might
>> have heard, was tested positive for doping during the still ongoing
>> World Cup and immediately left.
>> http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,15218439,00.html
>>
>>
>>
>> Best,
>> Frank
>>
>> --
>> --------------------------------------
>> Frank Hoffmann
>> http://koreaweb.ws
>>
>