Unexpected and Odd Korean Diplomacy on Olympic Ice

A Dramatic Performance

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The Olympics are full of drama this year, especially the hosting peninsula of Korea. Everything from unprecedented mixed national teams to inter-team sabotage, the very interpersonal and international politics may just make the Pyeongchang games as entertaining as Sochi. Just last night we had our latest affair.

During the short track speed skating trials, men’s representatives from North Korea, Japan, the USA, and South Korea lined up for the preliminary event. These countries are technically at war/conflict at the political level and some of it seemed to make its way onto the ice. During the 2nd lap, North Korean athlete Jong Kwang Bom fell in a turn, and conspicuously reached out to grab the Japanese competitor's skates. When the race was reset to give everyone a fair trial again, Jong skid out once again, this time intentionally bumping again into the same opponent. Jong was officially disqualified from participating in future events.

• Source: Donga News

Check out some footage from Youtube channel Fumble (aptly named) -

This debacle has lit Korean social media into a storm with everything from a stream of memes to play by play analyses of what could have possibly been going on in the Northener’s head.

The strangest silver lining in all this? Due to his meddling, the Japanese and US competitors suffered in their timing while South Korea took first in the race. Interesting, seeing as both the North and the South have had a common dislike of their former Japanese colonizers. I’m no advocate of sabotage in any way, but I can’t help but screw on my tinfoil hats to think this was a little message from one Korea to another.

Maybe there is hope in unification after all. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Anyway, pretty ridiculous. Let me know your thoughts and conspiracy theories below!