Remembering South Korea’s “Hoop Boy” in 1988 Seoul Olympics

Hoop Boy, Yoon Tae-woong <Photo DB=NEWSis>

SEOUL, July 2 (Xinhua) — Without doubt, one of the most unforgettable moments in the 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics was created by a young South Korean boy who rolled a hoop across the grass infield of Olympic Stadium in front of a huge crowd during the opening ceremony.

The whole world watched with breathless attention as the boy named Yoon Tae-woong, dressed in a white T-shirt and wearing a baseball cap, calmly jogged across the field, while using a metal stick to push the rolling metal hoop.

The strikingly serene scene with a powerful message of hope for world peace and harmony made the small boy a symbol for the Seoul Games, as his image touched the hearts of the world.

It’s been more than two decades since that moment, but the so- called “hoop boy” is still the first thing that comes to mind for many South Koreans when they recall the Seoul Olympics.

Yoon, who is now 31 years old and who is pursuing a career in acting, said he was too young then to realize how big his role was and how much attention he was getting.   “I was too young to recognize how many people were there, how big the event was, and the fact that people around the world were watching me,” Yoon said in a recent interview with Xinhua. “Yet, I still remember how nervous I was, because I was overwhelmed by the atmosphere and so much energy generated from the people there.”

These days, Yoon is busy practicing for a play set to open late July. He has appeared in several plays, musicals, and television shows, and he believes his past experience and the continuous attention on him have affected his decision to become an actor, either directly or indirectly.   “Many people still give me compliments, such as ‘It was touching’ or ‘You did a great thing,’ get pleased when they see me, and care about me,” said Yoon. “All these reactions make me proud of my past experience and this honorable and joyful memory has served as the driving force behind my acting career.”

Yoon said though that while he appreciates the constant recognition for his Olympic performance, he now wishes to impress people with his acting.   “Being remembered as the hoop boy is an honor for me, but I was lucky or fated to earn that title as it happened not of my own will,” said Yoon. “Being an actor is my real dream, my wish, something that I continuously aim for. Therefore I want to achieve it with my own efforts.”   It was Lee O-young who came up with the idea of the hoop performance. Lee, a former culture minister and an organizer of the Seoul Olympic opening and closing ceremonies, said he wanted the performance to help transform South Korea’s image as a war- torn and poor country.   “It didn’t matter whether the hoop represented the Earth or the universe or a star. The child who was rolling it was distinguished from children crying and begging (after the Korean War),” Lee said in an interview with Xinhua.   “It was meant to show the world the meaning of peace and how South Korea was prospering together through trade by cooperating with others.”

Lee said the sporting extravaganza in Seoul was an opportunity to prove ton the world that South Korea has risen from the destruction of war and the depths of poverty, bringing together more than 13,000 athletes and officials from 160 countries.   “The little boy with the hoop was the epitome of the development South Korea had achieved up to that time,” said Lee. “The boy mesmerized the world that had remembered South Korea as the war-ravaged country, and inspired national pride.” <Xinhua/Lee Yoojung>

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