From Military-First to Sports-First?



Analysis From Military-First to Sports-First? Emphasis on international competitions may hint at soft power approach Peter Moody October 20, 2014 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON KCNA While sports fans across Asia were tuning in to the end of the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, the international media was in a frenzy: where was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un? Among the rumors swirling during Kim’s 40-day absense was a report that Pyongyang was in lockdown, with Kim possibly overthrown in a coup. The affair was itself like watching the end of a sporting event, with the news outlets sitting on the edge of their seats with the clock winding down. Inside North Korea, the absence of the North Korean leader was not quite as conspicuous. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Update Start your day with the North Korea stories that matter most – as selected by Trending

Analysis

From Military-First to Sports-First?

Emphasis on international competitions may hint at soft power approach

Peter Moody October 20, 2014

KCNA

While sports fans across Asia were tuning in to the end of the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea, the international media was in a frenzy: where was North Korean leader Kim Jong Un? Among the rumors swirling during Kim’s 40-day absense was a report that Pyongyang was in lockdown, with Kim possibly overthrown in a coup. The affair was itself like watching the end of a sporting event, with the news outlets sitting on the edge of their seats with the clock winding down.

Inside North Korea, the absence of the North Korean leader was not quite as conspicuous.

About the Author

Peter Moody

Peter Moody is a contributor to NK News. His main research interests include North Korean political culture, mass media, ideology and daily life. He holds two masters degrees, one in East Asian Studies with a concentration in Modern Korean History and one in TESOL. He has lived in South Korea and has been a FLAS (Foreign Language and Area Studies) fellowship recipient; his research on North Korea has been published in the Sungkyun Journal of East Asian Studies. He currently lives and teaches in Saudi Arabia.

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