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KOWOC
| Dr. Chung's lecture at Beijing University on July 11 |
| The World Cup and World Peace |
President Xu Zhihong, professors and students of the University, ladies and gentlemen.
I am happy to have this opportunity to speak at Beijing University, the cradle of higher learning and teaching. I am especially happy to be here in the 10th anniversary year of diplomatic normalization between China and the Republic of Korea.
I understand that there are nearly 400 Korean students who are studying Chinese language at the Beijing University. Many other Korean students are studying here at Beijing University.
Let me get to the subject of the World Cup, which ended a couple of weeks ago. It was quite a moving experience for to watch the opening game of the 2002 World Cup between France and Senegal. The Senegalese team is coached by Bruno Metsu, a Frenchman, and they beat the No.1 ranking French team. The French coach who was about to defeat his own country, France, was overwhelmed with joy and hugged the Senegalese players with all his strength. Can we call it mercenary interest? Nobody will accuse Bruno Metsu of having betrayed his own country. Football has transcended races, religions, cultures and nationalities.
Football lives on nationalism. But it also transcends nationalism and brings people together. This is the strange and exciting nature of football.
For example, many national teams have coaches who are not their own nationals. Pillippe Troussier, a Frenchman, led Japan to the Round of sixteen. The head coach of the Chinese team was Bora Milutinovic, a Yugo citizen. The Korean team reached the semi-finals under the leadership of Guus Hiddink, a Dutchman. He is now the most popular figure among Koreans. So, here is a case of globalization by these Asian countries.
Having said this, sports events such as the World Cup enables us to discover new neighbors and bridge the gap among nations for the universal value of peace and prosperity.
Let me illustrate what effects the World Cup has had on Korea’s foreign relations.
First, let’s talk about our relations with Japan. As you know, throughout history and especially in the recent century, Korea and Japan have experienced various difficulties in our bilateral relations. Japan colonized Korea for over 35 years from 1910 until 1945.
So, when it was decided that Korea and Japan would co-host the 2002 World Cup, many people worried whether the two countries could really work together to organize the world's biggest sports event.
However, the success of co-hosting has contributed greatly to bringing Koreans and Japanese closer together and making them understand each other better. During the opening ceremony in Seoul, we all held our breath when a huge Japanese flag was rolled out together with the Korean flag; when the Japanese national anthem, Kimigayo, was sung; when Emperor Akihito's cousin, Prince Takamadonomiya, was introduced; and when Japanese Prime Minister Koizumi spoke. Each time, there were big cheers and no jeers.
The Japanese citizens, in return, reciprocated by cheering for the Korean team when they were playing against the European teams such as Portugal, Spain and Italy. It was clear that even when the Japanese national team did not go beyond the Round 16, the Japanese people wanted the Korean team to do well. Koreans appreciated this gesture of friendship and support. These warm feelings shared by the two countries, especially among the young people, will have a lasting effect on the relationship between Korea and Japan.
This is good news because Japan is our neighbor whether we like it or not. We can choose our allies but we cannot choose our neighbors. In fact, when the Korea-Japan co-hosting was decided, I was convinced that it would be a good opportunity to develop a more future-oriented and mature relationship between the two people and countries. There is a saying that "a common project makes enemies into friends."
Recently, I published a book entitled, "This I Say to Japan," in four languages: Japanese, Korean, English and Chinese. I wrote this book not because I am an expert on Japan. I wrote it because I thought that Korea and Japan should understand each other better. The main message I tried to convey in the book is that we, as close geographical neighbors, should understand and cooperate with other. This also means that sometimes we need to say what should be said even when they are not what we may like to hear.
As for the Korea-China relations, Koreans were genuinely happy to see China advance to the World Cup finals for the first time. While it was unfortunate that China could not reach the second round, there is a Korean saying that you cannot fill your stomach with the first spoonful. Korea's first win in the World Cup finals came only after 48 years and in our 6th World Cup challenge.
After China's game with Brazil, Chinese football magazine, 足球報 commented: "Gentlemen wait for ten years." However, I am sure that China will have a strong world-class team in less than 10 years.
Many Koreans are asking me when we can have a football league in Northeast Asia, including China, Japan and Korea. I hope that football fans in the countries of Northeast Asia will be able to watch games played among their teams on a regular basis soon.
The World Cup also will have a positive effect on the relationship between South Korea and North Korea as well. For example, South and North Koreas are now discussing the possibility of organizing a friendly football match in Seoul on the 8th of September this year.
The World Cup has brought many benefits to Korea. I do not want to talk about the economic benefits only. I am talking about the invisible, spiritual things such as unity and harmony among people, sense of pride and public confidence, and their new outlook toward the world.
The World Cup has contributed to bringing the Korean people together. It has helped to transcend the differences in age, regional and ideological orientations, gender and social backgrounds. We were all joined by the common purpose and spirit. You must have seen millions of Koreans cheering the Korean team, in the stadiums, on the streets, in restaurants and bars.
The World Cup has also given Koreans a sense of pride and achievement. Koreans have suffered a lot in their history. We had to live in a tough neighborhood. Even though our country still remains divided, we have come a long way and now we have this great sense of being shoulder to shoulder with our neighbors and the rest of the world. We want to live in friendship and cooperation with our neighbors and to be able to contribute to the peace and prosperity of the world.
Through the World Cup, Koreans have gained the confidence in knowing that their efforts toward globalization have been successful. In the course of less than two years, Coach Hiddink has transformed the Korean team into a world-class team.
Football was invented in China but developed as a popular sport in Europe. In the past the World Cup champions almost always came from Europe or South America. But the 2002 World Cup has demonstrated that Asians can win against the best of European teams. We should continue to develop our players' strength, body, skills, and will to win.
In 2004, FIFA will celebrate the 100th year anniversary of its founding. Initially, FIFA had planned to celebrate in three cities -- in Paris, where FIFA was established, in London where football became popularized, and in Zurich where FIFA’s headquarter is located. After I pointed out that football originated in China, we have now added Beijing as the fourth celebration city.
FIFA has agreed to the rotational principle in selecting the host country for the future World Cups. This means that Europe will be the host of the World Cup every third time, allowing for non-European countries to host the World Cup in between. Therefore, Germany will host the 2006 World Cup and Africa will host in 2010. In 2014, non-European country has a chance to host the World Cup and then again in 2022 and 2026. Let me tell you this: I do hope that China will be able to host the next world cup in 2014 or 2022. China can host the second Asian World Cup.
Football is compared to many things such as war, chess, and ballet. It is compared to war because football stimulates strong nationalism. It is similar to chess because it requires players and strategies. Football is like the ballet or opera because it requires choreography.
Football can be compared to geopolitics because as in a game, nations play to maximize their security and influence in the international chessboard.
Former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger is a serious football fan. Recently, he remarked that while Europe has already entered the 21st century in regional relations, Asia is still living in the 20th century. What he probably meant is that Europe has successfully formed the European Union that act as a trans-national regional government while Asian countries are still preoccupied with such things as regional hegemony, balance of power and national rivalry.
Like Europe, I believe that Asia is also a place where football can foster regional stability and prosperity. Football is a common language shared by all of us. With Korea and Japan co-hosting and with China participating, the 2002 World Cup has provided a unique opportunity for the three countries to start developing a sense of community.
The task for us now is how to channel and garner the energy, unity and goodwill generated in the course of the World Cup for the prosperity, peace, and friendship in the Asian region. In this task, young people like yourselves, are most important and critical. I urge that we -- both China and Korea -- combine our efforts and work together to build a community of friendship and cooperation.
aI once read a newspaper article written by a Chinese professor who said, “we need a country like the U.S. who has dreams to be perfect.” In my name Mong Joon, the character of “Mong(夢)” means to dream. I was told that if many people dream about the same thing, then the dream can come true. Let’s all dream that an Asian team can win the World Cup in 2006.
Thank you.
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