Sleepless Seoul

It is not a destined love between a man and woman as seen in a romantic comedy in Seattle. Insomnia here has increased due to the sweltering heat which lingers until past midnight. What has also prompted sleeplessness is the Olympic Games in London as many events take place late at night in Korean time.

Despite a lack of sleep, people seem jubilant mainly because of the brilliant performances of the young athletes of the Republic of Korea. They had won 12 golds as of Wednesday, surpassing the original target of 10.

More encouraging is that they have claimed medals in diverse areas compared to previous years, where success came mainly in martial arts. There has also been change in the attitude of both the athletes and the people in evaluating performances at major international sports events. They have begun to show almost the same degree of joy for silver and bronze medals as well as for gold.

Korea’s first ever Olympic medal came in the 14th London Games in 1948 when flyweight boxer Han Soo-ann took bronze, followed by weightlifter Kim Seong-jip who finished third in the middleweight division. In addition to these two sports, Korean athletes have also achieved success in wrestling at the Olympics.

At the 1984 Los Angeles Games the nation’s athletes won six golds, six silvers and seven bronzes, chiefly due to strong government support ahead of the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

The selection of taekwondo, Korea’s national martial art, as an official Olympic event at the 2000 Sydney Games, gave the country further impetus in its bid to claim more golds.

In London, medals have come from fencing, shooting, judo, archery, gymnastics, and Greco-Roman wrestling.

The widening of major medal fields indicates the nation’s rapid economic growth over the past several decades that has prompted people to prefer more “civilized” sports. With some exceptions, they no longer suffer from poverty and need to rely on the “hungry spirit.”

In the past, competitors were deeply sorrowful when they won silver or bronze medals. Only first was recognized while those coming lower were neglected. Gold medallists received the spotlight while those coming second or third were left in the cold after they returned home.

But the situation has changed. People are extending warm welcomes to the winners of silver and bronze and as well as those who return home without medals, should they have done their best. The athletes themselves now show different responses, revealing joy at winning silver and bronze. They smile even after crushing defeat.

Weightlifter Jang Mi-ran impressed many with her graceful exit from the stage after failing to even make the podium. She knelt down and softly touched the bar as if to say goodbye. She did not show any regret as she has done her best under given circumstances.

Swimming icon Park Tae-whan was long expected to win the 400-meter freestyle. But he showed no regrets despite taking silver at that distance and also in the 200 free. Badminton and fencing players expressed joy in a wild manner laying them on the floor after winning bronze medals.

Their matured attitude matches the nation’s enhanced status and economic power. What remains outdated is domestic politics. The ruling Saenuri Party is facing a serious setback amid allegations that one of its lawmakers bribed an election broker to gain a seat under the proportional representation system.

People are showing keen interest in the money-for-candidacy scandal, which was prevalent in the past but should not take place today at all. The opposition Democratic United Party is also facing criticism for its floor leader Park Jie-won having allegedly been involved in a bribery case. The minor United Progressive Party (UPP) is facing a possible breakup over the move to expel two trouble-hit lawmakers in connection with election rigging.

It is a principle that the level of politics is supposed to keep in line with the degree of people’s consciousness. But in Korea, this principle does not seem to work.

Korean people have one of the highest levels of education in the world, which means their political consciousness is also high. Politics has failed to catch up with such rapid progress. People are poised to judge the political sector in the December presidential election. <The Korea Times/Shim Jae-yun>

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