2002 World Cup

As many people know, the World Cup started this past Friday in Germany. While reading an article at the New York Times, I came across an article that outlined the importance of this competition and how much it means to the countries involved. For example, the Ivory Coast was fighting a civil war a few months ago. However, they stopped the fighting as soon as the leader of the country said something along the lines of: "If this war continues, we won't be participating in the World Cup." Now they are a country united backing their national team (though what is to happen in August after the World Cup is over is yet to be known...). So what does this have to do with North Korea? Well, the article said that in 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, South Korea's relations with the US, and its neighbor on the North were affected. "The South Koreans began broadcasting the World Cup across the demilitarized zone as a kind of propaganda tool. Then all of a sudden North Korea just started broadcasting the games themselves. They had no rights to the broadcasts. Part of the World Cup was held in Japan as well, so that long feeling of enmity between the two countries played out" (From the NY Times article, for those people who do not have a sign in name).

It is incredible what a game of futbol can do, don't you think?