Im Oh-kyung: "We must not go as far as an Olympic boycott... Athletes have devoted their entire lives"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Cheol-eung] Amid ruling party presidential candidates mentioning a boycott of the Tokyo Olympics, Lim Oh-kyung, a former handball player and member of the Democratic Party of Korea, expressed the position that "it should not go as far as a boycott."

On the 4th, Lim appeared on MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' and said, "I believe it should not go as far as a boycott. Rather, we need to carefully consider what we gain from a boycott. Does it erase the fact that Dokdo is marked as Japanese territory on the map? These aspects require careful thought."

Regarding the official website of the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee marking Dokdo as Japanese territory on its map, 132 Democratic Party lawmakers submitted a resolution condemning this to the National Assembly the day before, and Lim also joined in.

When the host mentioned, "From an athlete's perspective, participating in the Olympics is a dream and everything is centered around this," Lim responded, "We should not view it from the athlete's perspective alone but as citizens of the Republic of Korea. These individuals have had this as their profession and have dreamed from a young age for 20 to 30 years to become national representatives."

He continued, "The Olympics occur once every four years, but the preparation is not just for four years. These athletes have dreamed of wearing the Taegeuk mark since childhood, and only by wearing the Taegeuk mark can they participate in the Olympics. This process means they have devoted two-thirds of their lives."

Lim stated, "I think a boycott is the last resort in the worst-case scenario," adding, "There was a precedent during the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics. Japan requested the IOC, and the IOC strongly requested Korea. According to Article 50 of the Olympic Charter, political, racial, or religious actions are prohibited. We complied with the IOC's request in accordance with the Olympic spirit."

He added, "This is the same case now. We should continue to strongly push the IOC. Our advantage is that the Korea Sports Council president and two IOC members, including former table tennis player Yoo Seung-min, are involved. These people can more effectively persuade the IOC and work in solidarity with other countries to resolve this diplomatically as a priority."

Lim also said, "If a boycott is the last resort, we need to genuinely ask the athletes once, seek opinions from athletes and coaches, consider what to do with athletes who have devoted their lives preparing, whether to recognize the boycott, and how to treat them. This requires discussion as a final measure."

As the Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to open in July, approach, the Dokdo issue has emerged as a point of contention between Korea and Japan. On the 2nd, Kato Katsunobu, the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Japanese government, claimed at a regular press conference at the Prime Minister's Office, "Takeshima (the name Japan claims for Dokdo) is clearly Japanese territory based on historical facts and international law."

This was a rebuttal to the Korean government's protest against the Tokyo Olympics website map showing Dokdo as Japanese territory along the torch relay route.

In the political sphere, a strong response is deemed necessary. Former Democratic Party leader Lee Nak-yeon said on Facebook on the 27th of last month, "If Japan refuses until the end, we must firmly respond using all possible means, including an Olympic boycott." Former Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun also said on the 26th of last month, "If deletion is refused until the end, all means including non-participation in the Olympics must be mobilized." Gyeonggi Province Governor Lee Jae-myung sent a letter to the IOC on the 1st requesting "active measures to ensure the deletion of the Dokdo marking."