Sports—Korea
Throughout most of its history, Korea has been strongly influenced by Chinese (and to a much lesser degree) Japanese culture. Before the Koryo period (918–1392), the states of Paekche (18 BCE–663 CE), Shilla (57 BCE–935 CE), and Koguryo (37 BCE–668 CE) were engaged in nearly constant wars with China, with Japan, and with each other. Like the sports of other Asian cultures, the earliest Korean sports tended to be closely related to warfare. Mounted archery was known in prehistoric times and skill with swords and spears was highly prized. Ssirum, a popular traditional wrestling game, dates back to the early Koguryo kingdom. The origins of the Korean variant of the unarmed martial arts, t'aekwondo (or tae kwon do, as it is spelled in English), "the way of the foot and the hand," are unknown. The sport, which is now closely associated with modern Korea, may have originated in the kingdom of Shilla or, like many of Korea's sports, it may have had Chinese or Japanese origins.
During the Koryo period, Buddhism flourished and the interest in sports, especially military sports, slackened. It is likely that Korea's gentler sports—such as kite flying and see-sawing, often part of seasonal festivals—flourished in this era. Notable among sports for women was a kind of swinging competition in which the contestants stood on a plank suspended from ropes. The Choson period, which lasted from 1392 until Japanese annexation in 1910, saw a renewed interest in sports, especially military sports.
The Olympic baseball stadium in Seoul, Korea. Although not a traditional Korean sport, baseball has become a major amateur and professional sport in Korea. In the 1990s, several Korean players played in American professional baseball leagues. (JANET WISHNETSKY/CORBIS)Further Reading
Culin, Stewart. (1958) Games of the Orient. Rutland, VT: Tuttle.
Wagner, Eric, ed. (1989) Sport in Asia and Africa. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
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