[WEEKENDER] Beyond the podium: Embracing true diversity in Korean sports
NAGOYA, Japan — When the Korean men’s 3x3 basketball team secured a historic Asian Games gold medal here last week, the celebrations back home were muted. That same quiet greeted the nation’s canoe sprint athletes as they paddled their way to the podium. There was only one Asian Games event for that time slot that made it to viewers through the major broadcast television networks in Seoul:…
![[WEEKENDER] Beyond the podium: Embracing true diversity in Korean sports](/img/11292512)
When the Korean men's 3x3 basketball team claimed an improbable gold at the Asian Games, domestic reactions were subdued. So too were the celebrations for Korea's canoe sprint athletes who secured podium finishes. These athletes were given scant airtime on Seoul's major broadcast networks. The Asian Games, marketed as a symbol of unity under the "Imagine One Asia" banner, actually exposed Korea's deeply unequal and TV-focused sports culture.
Despite the Games' intended message of togetherness, the competition highlighted how far the nation's sports landscape is divided. The broadcast blackout wasn't a calculated snub, but rather a reflection of a TV industry driven by profit margins. Just months earlier, the same networks had lambasted cable channel JTBC for securing exclusive rights to broadcast major international events.
However, when confronted with the stark reality of declining television ratings, those networks fell eerily silent.
Written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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