Introduction
Sporting events are the most socially interactive events in the whole world. Sports bring together people from different countries as they compete to win different medals. Unlike soccer, which also invites several fans and players to the World Cup and other major events, the Olympics invite all countries of the world because the eligibility of the nations to participate is not limited to some number. This implies that every nation willing to participate in the Olympics has this permission if it follows the rules and regulations of the international Olympics Committee. On the economic front, sports such as the Olympics unite people from different countries in one economy, thereby spending on local commodities. This increases the economic productivity of the host nation within the time when the event is help within its borders. Sports are also responsible for social integration. Through this union of members of different countries, both the locals and the visitors learn from one another, leading to a hybrid culture.
The 1988 Summer Olympics, which was officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, was an international sporting event that featured multiple sporting activities. The event was held in Seoul, South Korea between September 17 and 2 October 1988. A similar event had previously been hosted in Asia in 1964 in Tokyo Japan, thereby making the latter the second to be hosted in Asian territory. During the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, 8391 athletes of whom 2194 were women and 6197 were men represented 160 countries. During this multi-sporting event, there were 263 events held with large media coverage and broadcasting all over the world (Whitson, & John, pp. 73-80). This paper seeks to examine the changes that the 1988 Olympics brought to South Korea after hosting the event.
Body
The political system of any nation is important to determine its development towards modernization. After South Korea had placed its bid in 1981 to host the 1988 Olympics and successfully being awarded the opportunity ahead of Japanese Nagoya with 52 votes against 27 votes in favor of the former, political stability was a major concern for the International Olympics Committee. For thirty years, Korea had been ruled by a militant dictatorship, and growing calls for democracy had echoed across the peninsula through the 1970s and 89s (Alex, p. 5). In 1987, the South Korean strike wave, also known as the Great Workers’ Struggle affected major industries. The strike that involved more than a million workers brought about a major success to the South Korean political system. However, the striking workers were sure to strike just before the Olympics because they were sure that the government would solve their concerns in order to secure the chance to host the Olympics. When the International Olympics Committee started weighing options to relocate the venue for the 1988 Olympics from South Korea to Moscow, the South Korean nationals held a political demonstration in June 1987, which issued President Chun out of power and led to the first democratic election in December 1987 (Heo, & Roehrig, p. 40). The South Korean desire to maintain peace during the Olympics led to the development of major cities hosting the games and the guests.
The 1988 Olympics led to increased investments and population in major cities such as Seoul. In preparation for the Olympics, many investors moved to these major cities expecting to sell to the incoming guests (Larson, & Rivenburgh, p. 75). This created more employment opportunities within these cities. Consequently, the number of people moving to the urban centers in search of employment opportunities also increased. This led to a reduced population in the minor cities, especially those that did not host the Olympic guests. This led to a rapid economic growth of these cities since the athletes provided a market for South Korean commodities. This economic development stimulated the South Korean nation to join the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 1996 (Calder, & Fukuyama, p. 278). However, in the following year, the Asian Financial Crisis greatly affected the South Korean nation, but it later regained its economic productivity and growth, although this time at a slower pace compared to the period of the Olympics.
International integration and recognition of the South Korean nation during the 1988 Olympics also led to the Modern urbanization in South Korea. After President Park was assassinated in 1979, Chun Doo-hwan ruled without discretion for human rights. His militant dictatorship slowed the economic development of eth South Korean urban centers. However, with the successful consideration of the South Korean bid to host the Olympics, international attention was diverted toward South Korea. This consideration presented the South Korean nation with the opportunity to showcase its culture to the whole world. The diversion of attention toward South Korean nation also provided the nation with protection against increasing threats from its neighbors such as North Korea, who later decided to boycott the 1988 Olympics after the International Olympics Committee turned down their quest to co-host the Olympics. It is also believed that the successful hosting of the 1988 Olympics also contributed to the award to co-host the 2002 FIFA world cup with Japan. This implies that international attention had been turned toward South Korea. Japan was one of the neighboring countries that refused to join the 1988 Olympics boycott, and was represented by 289 athletes competing in different categories. Economically, the exposure to the international community invited foreign investment into the South Korean economy, especially into the host cities thereby increasing the employment opportunities as well as developing the infrastructure of the South Korean nation. The increased employment opportunities also led to improved living standards in the urban settings.
A common phenomenon with the modern urban settings in the world is the social class segregations. The South Korean Cities are no exceptions. The property owners accumulated much wealth during the Olympics. The heavy traffic of customers ensured that the investors accumulated much wealth from the guests. Investment during this time was at its peak. However, employers failed to reward their employees enough money compared to the output of their efforts. Therefore, the gap between the societal poor in South Korean urban settings increased with the rich members of the society living in highlands, while their low class counterparts live in poor neighborhoods characterized with crime and insecurity. Additionally, the low class members of the society continue to serve interest of their rich masters, who dominate the political and economic fronts.
As witnessed in the previous Tokyo, Japan Summer Olympics in 1964, the event helped in reintegrating the Japanese nation in the family of nations following the post war era (Kim, p 231). The South Korean government also needed this opportunity to reintegrate with the other nations of the world. The South Korean economy had started industrializing before the Olympic Games in 1988. However, before this event, most nations had never had the opportunity to interact with the South Korean authorities to realize its industrialization. Therefore, the Olympics ensured that most nations that accepted to participate in the South Korean hosted event also accepted to reintegrate the Korean nation into the world economic front, leading to faster economic growth of this nation.
The common phenomena with the seasonal employment also befell South Korean urbanization process. During the Olympics, most people got employed in the short-lived economic boom. Most of these people had moved to these cities from the rural areas and cities that would not host the guests. Other people also came from neighboring nations in search of employment. This led to an integrated society in these cities. However, soon after the Olympic Games were concluded, many people lost their jobs since many companies had been set up on temporary basis to serve the guests. The immigrants from several nations, who either came to watch the Olympic Games or to work in the South Korean markets failed to return to their parent countries. The unemployed locals also remained in the cities. This increased the number of unemployed population in major cities such as Seoul. Following the unemployment phenomenon and overcrowding in these cities, the crime rates intensified leading to increased insecurity in major cities.
Infrastructural development was also a significant development on the South Korean economy following the 1988 Olympics. During the Olympics, the roads and railway lines leading to the venues hosting the events were greatly developed to cater for transport needs of the athletes. Among the areas that received this infrastructural upgrading, include the Seoul Sports Park venues, Olympic Park venues, other venues in metropolitan Seoul, and other venues outside Seoul (Davis, pp.600 – 605). Apart from the roads, gymnasiums that hosted different events such as wrestling, sailing, and other indoor games were also erected to the advantage of the South Korean economy. Additionally, fields were also developed to host football matches, hockey games, and other field and track events that were performed during the multi-sporting international event. Investors also built luxurious hotels where guests were hosted and parties held for different teams. These coupled with other infrastructural developments ensured that the South Korean economy moved toward the modern urbanization.
Most of these infrastructural developments were majorly witnessed in the cities hosting the event. In addition to the economic developments, social infrastructures such as entertainment joints and hospitals erected during the Olympic Games ensured that the nation enjoyed social development in its urban settings. Furthermore, these sporting facilities such as cycling tracks, gymnasiums, and playgrounds constructed during the 1988 Olympics have been used be the locals in the cities for sporting activities as well as regional sporting events, which have further developed the South Korean economy.
Conclusion
Sporting activities are very important in shaping the economic, social, and political terrain of any nation. As a matter of fact, most developing and developed nations have been seeking to get the opportunity to host major international sporting events with the aim of propelling economic growth in these economies. Even though the FIFA World Cup is one of the most loved international sporting events, it is true that the Olympic Games invite many participants from different countries of the world. While in the World cup countries represent their continents, the Olympic Games always comprise of nations from different continents, who represent their specific countries and not continents or blocks since participation is not restricted to a specific number of nations. The number of games presented in the Olympics is also more than those witnessed in any other international sporting event.
The Olympics held in 1988 in Seoul, South Korea had significant economic, political, and social implication. Before the Olympics, the South Korean nation had been under thirty years of militant authoritative leadership. However, following a strike in June 1987, President Chu was issued out of office and ushered in new democratic governance. Further intentions to maintain peace during the Olympic Games also led to increased democratic concern. The 1988 Olympics also exposed the South Korean government to the international community, which helped in providing protection from threats from neighboring nations such as North Korea (Mason, pp. 101 – 102). This led to peace and stability, thereby stimulating economic growth.
Social and physical infrastructure in the hosting cities and areas were greatly developed. These infrastructures include hospitals, roads, hotels and other sporting infrastructure such as stadia, cycling tracks and gymnasia. These infrastructural developments in the major cities led to better economic growth. However, the Olympics also brought challenges to South Korean urbanization. The immigrants into the hosting cities failed to return to their parent nations and rural destinations leading to increased unemployment in the cities and increased criminal activities. The seasonal employment boom during the Olympics soon left many people unemployed. However, the property owners accumulated much wealth during the Olympic Games, thereby leading to class stratification in major South Korean cities such as Seoul.
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