Posted on : Mar.17,2006 07:55 KST

It wasn't a freak accident of nature and it wasn't luck. Korea beat Japan again because of her strength, strength we didn't know we had and with it we showed the world. It was beautiful to see Korea's players do their best even when they had in fact already won a place in the final four. Our players showed the United States, which has dirtied the series by organizing its group and the game schedule according to its liking and by issuing biased judgments, what sportsmanship really is.

You could never say our players are on an individual basis better than their counterparts in the U.S. and Japan, and that makes their victory shine all the more. Their win was the result of superior coaching, closely united players, and an attitude that desired to see things through the very end. The whole country, including those living abroad, felt as one. It was the bottom of the ninth that had everyone on the edge of their seats, and when the ball left Oh Seun Hwan's hand both the people and the whole country were united as one for that single moment. The results are even more precious because the process was an upright one.

Making it into the final four is significant not only for being the greatest accomplishment in 101 years of Korean baseball history. It gave the people confidence, something they would trade for nothing. Self-confidence. It has awoken people to the fact we can show even greater strength if we work together. Pitcher Park Chan Ho, who kept Japan from scoring any homeruns all the way through the fifth inning, says the victory "shows us that if we combine our strengths and everyone is faithful to the mission at hand, we can do anything."

Leaders in our society need to hear that, since these days there is increasing social conflict in Korea. The effects of "sports marketing" and having "Korea" known to the world as a name and a brand is something you cannot buy with money. They did well and we hope to see them do even better in the future. What else can we say?


The Hankyoreh, 17 March 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]

  • 오피니언

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