Korea: Soccer Game between Korea and Korea.

For the 2010 World Cup of South Africa, there was a preliminary game in South Korea. The appointed teams were North Korea and South Korea. After the game, bloggers share their feelings.

1:

월드컵 최종예선 남북간의 대결 오랜만에 상암에 가서 직접 보기로 했다. 손에 땀을 쥐게 하는 경기였다.[…] 94분간 남북의 청년들은 정말 열심히 뛰었다.[…]남북모두 남은 경기를 잘해서 함께 2010년 남아공월드컵으로 갔으면 한다.그래서 남아공에서 남북청년들이 또 한번 대결을 봤으면 한다..[…]경기가 끝나고 경기장을 빠지고 나오다 보니, 후반전 붉은 악마 응원단 맞은 편 관람석에 “우리는 하나”라는 현수막이 누가 달았는지 눈에 띈다.그래, 다음에는 남북이 하나의 팀으로 경기도 나가고, 남북이 공동으로 월드컵도 개최하고 했으면 좋겠다.

I decided to go to Sangam in order to see today’s game. I was clenching my fists throughout the game..[…] The young blood of North and South Korea did their best.[…]I hope that both North Korea and South Korea play well in their other games and can attend 2010 World Cup together. I hope that I can see another game between them in South Africa.[…] After the game I stormed out of the sports ground, I encountered a banner that was written “We’re together” on the seats of Red Devils (soccer fans in South Korea). The next time, I hope that North Korea and South Korea become one team together and they also hold the World Cup together.

2:

한국과 한국의 축구를 봤다.

결과는 1 : 0 대한민국 승

두개의 한국은 실력이 많이 늘은 듯 했다.[…] 축구를 보는 내내 난 평소 다른 축구경기를 보는 때보다 딱 두배의 힘을 쓴 듯 하다. 난 정말 두 팀 중 한 팀을 콕 찝어 응원할 수 없었다. 내가 사는 한국이 공격을 할 때에는 반대편의 한국이 꼭 막기를 바랐고, 내가 살지 않는 한국이 공격을 할 때에는 내가 사는 한국이 꼭 막아주길 바랐다.[…] 차라리 한국 대 다른나라 였다면 이렇게까지 슬프진 않을테지.이미 분단된지 60여년의 세월이 지났다.
일례로 요즘의 어린이들은 6.25가 누구와 누구의 전쟁이었는지도 모른다고 한다.
혹자는 통일이 왜 필요한지 모르겠다고들 말한다. 엄연히 다른 나라라고. 또 그 나라와 통일을 하면 우리나라가 망한다고. 독일의 경우를 보라고.하지만 그들과 우리는 분명히 형제잖아.이스라엘과 팔레스타인처럼 원래부터가 다른 개념이라면 이렇게 까진 먹먹하지 않을텐데.

경제개념으로 모든 것을 해결할 수 있다는 발상은 치명적이다. 나는 인간이란 존재가, 국가라는 존재가, 인간이 관여하는 모든 존재가 인간적이라고 믿고있다. 내가 오늘 한국의 축구가 영대영으로 비기기를 바란것처럼.

I watched the soccer game between Korea and Korea.

The result was 1:0. The victory of the Republic of Korea.

It seems that the two Koreas are getting better.[…]While I watched the game, I used my energy two times more than any other soccer games. I couldn’t root for one of the two. When the Korea which I live in attacked, I hoped that the other Korea defended well. When the Korea where I don’t live attacked, I hoped that the other Korea defended well.[…]It would be so sad if it were a game between a Korea and another country. It has been about 60 years past since the division of the two Koreas. Some young people even don’t know who fought in 6.25. Some say they don’t understand why unification is necessary, we’re obviously different countries and we will be in big trouble if we unify with them. However we’re brothers and sisters. If we’re like relations between Israel and Palestine that are fundamentally different, it will be fine.

It is dangerous to solve all problems with economic concepts. I believe that humans, nations, and any others related to humans are humane. Like I hoped that today’s game ended up 0:0.

3:

한민족이고 한 혈통으로 살아온 우리들이 왜 다른 국가의 다른 국기를 들고 있어야 하는가? 난 이념적인 사람은 아니다. 다만 남쪽에서 태어나 살아와서 대한민국 사람이 된 것이다. 내가 만약 저기 북쪽에서 태어났다면 그곳에서 태극기가 아닌 인공기를 바라보고 있었을 것이다. 보수적인 사람들은 젊은 사람들이 보안의식이 없다고 하겠지만 그렇게만 생각할 것은 아니다. 평범한 사람들이라면 인도적인 부분과 외교적인 부분 경제적 부분으로 북한을 구분지어 바라볼 것이다. 지금 오늘 내가 바라보는 것은 미사일 발사로 긴장되는 적이 아닌 하나의 축구팀의 한 국기 아래 있어야 할 하나의 혈통인 한 민족으로 보고 있을 뿐이다.

Why do we who are the same ethnicity and have lived with the same blood have to raise national flags of different nations? I am not such an ideological person. I just became a person of the Republic of Korea because I was born in the southern part of Korea and have lived here. If I was born in the northern part, I would look at Ingong-gi (national flag of Norht Korea) now, not at Taegeuk-gi (national flag of South Korea). Conservative people might think that a young fellow doesn’t care about security. But I think that if you’re an ordinary person, you will see North Korea in human aspects, diplomatic aspects, and economic aspects. What I see today is not an enemy which makes us nervous due to missile projection, but a soccer team with the same blood and ethnicity who should be under one national flag.

2 comments

  • . . . Like I hoped that today’s game ended up 0:0

    Geez, he is not a real soccer fan! It was a good game.

  • KoreanConservative

    I understand your desire and sentiments of hoping a re-unification of North and South Korea, but my question to you is: would you want North Korea and South Korea to be re-united under a communist-controlled dictatorship with limited human rights/freedom or under a republic where individuals have rights, liberty, justice and freedom?
    If you was born in North Korea, you would not even have the right to express your viewpoints like you have been doing on this site. You should be lucky and thankful that you was born in a republic where democracy and equal rights, under the protection of the law, is emphasized. I also see North Koreans as fellow Koreans; after all they are still our blood and same ethnic group but I disagree with the ideology and policies that was implemented by the dictators or rulers of that country which oppressed ordinary North Koreans of their rights and freedom.

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