To encourage locals to take part in sports, North Korea created a documentary last year showcasing its athletic achievements. This is the first documentary released in four years following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On May 14, Rodong Sinmun reported, “A documentary titled Sports Fever in 2023, which features the distinctive contributions of the sports sector last year, has been created.”
The report described the film as introducing “The proud feats of athletes who demonstrated our style of game tactics, strong will, and high skills, and shook the dignity and might of Korea in international games held last year.” It also noted, “The sports fever has intensified amid social interest, and significant progress has been made in realizing the science of sports and nurturing future talent.”
It seems that the film includes North Korea’s international competition results from 2023 and introduces the party’s sports projects.
The last documentary on sports was produced four years ago, recording the achievements of 2019. It seems that no films have been made since then due to closed borders, resulting in not being able to participate in international competitions due to COVID-19 in early 2020.
Since then, North Korea has participated in various events including the International Taekwondo Federation (ITF) World Championships, the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, the Asian Weightlifting Championships, and the 2024 Women’s Soccer Asian Cup.
The report also published a contribution from An Kum Ae, a gold medalist in women’s judo at the 2012 London Olympics, further showing the sports fever atmosphere.
In An’s contribution, she emphasized, “Our gold medal is not a symbol of any honor. It is a testament to the valuable life and happiness that our athletes enjoy in the great love of our parents, and a precious part of our wealth that multiplies our determination to repay the sky-like faith of the one who calls us true patriots, heroes, and a champion.”
The reason North Korea continues to show the sports fever atmosphere by announcing sports documentaries appears to strengthen internal solidarity by eliciting patriotism from its people. It encourages loyalty to the regime through propaganda that all sports competition achievements are due to the grace of the party and the supreme leader.