The Difficult Dialogue: Communism, Nationalism, and Political Propaganda in North Korean Sport

Abstract

North Korea is arguably the least understood and the most reclusive country in the world. This article discusses the use of sport in the country as a vehicle for political propaganda and, in particular, the role of nationalism within the communist sporting culture. Although most nation states have become increasingly interdependent politically and economically in the so-called global era, relatively few countries have an official relationship with North Korea. Sport may be one of the few arenas in which the world can glimpse North Korean people and their culture because North Korean athletes consistently participate in international sporting competition, both inside and outside of the country, regardless of political and economic isolation. In this article, an attempt is made to paint a picture of North Korean society by exploring the country’s sport culture. Particular attention will be paid to the political, and specifically the nationalistic, dimension of sport in North Korea. To this end, three case studies— football, taekwondo, and mass gymnastics—are explored. This study of North Korean sport offers useful insights into the political and nationalistic elements embedded in the country’s cultural practice, and, more generally, insights into the problematic relationship between communism and nationalism.