Can sport bridge the divide? A new bill seeks closer inter-Korean ties.

Close interactions between South and North Koreans are rare, though sports events can provide some opportunities for more personal engagement, as seen in the semifinal between the South's Suwon FC and North's Naegohyang Women's FC in the AFC Women’s Champions League last month.

However, athletic events involving the two countries scarred by the 1950-53 Korean War could soon take place more often under a recently-introduced inter-Korean sports exchange bill.

The bill, proposed by liberal Democratic Party Rep. Huh Young and 16 other lawmakers on April 27, aims to “contribute to peace and reunification on the Korean Peninsula by promoting sports exchanges and cooperation between South and North Korea.”

The envisioned plan could make football matches between South and North Korean clubs more regular fixtures, ending the “once-in-a-decade” narrative that emerged ahead of the match between Suwon FC and Naegohyang FC in the AFC Women’s Champions League. That Champions League match was the first time any North Korean women's football team had visited South Korea since 2014.

Since the bill includes not only football but all sports, there is room for a wide range of sporting events in which the two sides could compete, which South Korea is pushing to support in several ways.

Smoother movement of personnel, equipment

As a first step, the bill would simplify a procedure that players and staff must undergo when participating in inter-Korean contests.

Under the current law, both South and North Korean nationals trying to visit each other’s country need a certificate of visit from the South’s minister of unification, who can opt to deny their request.

But new rules will have the minister “promptly issue” a certificate requested by South or North Korean nationals for the purpose of inter-Korean sports cooperation, according to a document about the bill. The bill would thus see those involved in inter-Korean sports enter South or North Korea with fewer hurdles.

The minister, however, may terminate the validity of the certificate when the request is filed by false or other improper means, when there is a clear risk of undermining inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation or when there is a clear risk of harming national security, public order or public welfare.

The transfer of necessary equipment for athletic events between the two countries would also be easier under the bill. Sports-related items reported to the reunification minister by participants in inter-Korean sports can undergo “swift and simplified customs clearance procedures.”

The current law stipulates that anyone seeking approval to bring goods into or out of North Korea must apply to the minister of unification and submit required documents at least seven days in advance. Details of how the bill would expedite the current process had yet to be shared as of Thursday.

“Specific operational standards and detailed procedures will need to be further developed through consultations with the government, local authorities and relevant stakeholders during the legislative review process,” a representative from Rep. Huh's office told the Korea JoongAng Daily on Tuesday.

Government body for inter-Korean sport exchanges

Under the bill, the South Korean government would also install and operate an inter-Korean sports cooperation support center in order to more efficiently facilitate athletic events between the two countries. 

The center will “support policies and develop programs for inter-Korean sports exchange and cooperation, provide information and assistance to those carrying out related projects, recommend improvements to relevant laws and systems and perform other duties prescribed by the Presidential Decree.”

Whether the South Korean government will entirely fund the establishment of the support center is unclear. The document about the bill does not specify.

“At this stage, the priority is to have the bill put before the committee for consideration,” said the representative from Rep. Huh's office.

The bill has been referred to the parliamentary Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, but has not yet undergone committee review as of Wednesday.

With the yet-to-be unveiled support center in place, the two Koreas could organize inter-Korean sport contests without the help of third-party organizers.

South and North Korean national football teams, for example, could opt to hold friendlies through the support center rather than being only able to face each other in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.

Club-level encounters could also happen more frequently, which have been rare due in part to North Korea’s reluctance to participate in international competitions.

Past inter-Korean events and impact

Large-scale inter-Korean sports exchanges have taken place over the past years, notably at the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea. 

South and North Korea formed one unified women’s ice hockey team for the Winter Games, which not only brought players from the two sides together, but also saw Kim Yo-jong, sister of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, visit the South for the Olympics.

That visit marked the first time a member of North Korea’s ruling family had crossed the border since the Korean War. During the visit, Kim Yo-jong met with then-President Moon Jae-in and gave him a letter inviting him to Pyongyang, beginning a period of détente.

The invitation later led to more talks between the South and North, including Moon holding a summit with Kim Jong-un in Pyongyang in September 2018.

Another historic case of inter-Korean sports was in 2002, when Busan hosted the Asian Games. South and North Korea participated in both the opening and closing ceremonies together with a unified Korean flag featuring the Korean peninsula, although they did not have unified teams for the Asiad.  

The two Koreas’ joint participation came after the Kim Dae-jung administration pursued inter-Korean engagement, with the event being viewed as part of a symbol that the South-North relationship was heading into a broader partnership.

Against this backdrop, North Korea in November 2002 also announced the creation of the Kaesong Industrial Zone, where South Korean companies could operate factories using North Korean labor. The zone has not been in operation since 2016, when the Park Geun-hye administration suspended operations in response to the North’s nuclear and missile threats.

Whether the new bill will lead to greater cooperation between the two Koreas in sports or other policy areas, however, remains uncertain. 

"It is hard to conclude that sports exchanges will increase under the bill, as it is contingent on North Korea accepting South Korea's plan," Park Won-gon, a North Korean Studies professor at Ewha Womans University, told the Korea JoongAng Daily. "[North Korean leader] Kim Jong-un has clearly declared that he will not engage with South Korea in any form, so under those circumstances I don’t think any kind of exchange is likely to expand. Of course, making such a law, preparing for it and steering things in that direction has value in itself, but I don’t think that simply passing the law would lead to a revitalization of inter-Korean exchanges."

Park warned lawmakers against “pushing policies that are completely out of touch with reality and the current circumstances.”  

The bill comes as President Lee Jae Myung also attempts to thaw the icy inter-Korean relationship that remained stalled during the conservative Yoon Suk Yeol administration, which took a hawkish stance against the North. 

Lee’s presidency will end in June 2030. Before that time comes, the two Koreas could once again form a unified team for international tournaments such as the 2028 Summer Olympics or 2030 Winter Olympics, and collaborate on policies outside sports within the broader framework. 

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]