Alpha North Korea Sticks Beta South Korea With The Olympic Bill
South Korea’s decision to have its Olympic athletes march under a joint flag with North Korea was a politically unpopular move decried by many young South Koreans. But the decision may become even more controversial now that South Korea has agreed to pay millions of dollars to foot the Olympic bill of its North Korean counterparts.
On Wednesday, South Korea’s Unification Ministry approved a $2.7 million fund that will pay for the costs of North Korea’s delegation to the Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The means the South Korean government will foot the bill for the five-star hotel where North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s sister is staying during her visit, among other expenses.The International Olympic Committee will pay for the North Korean athletes to stay in the Olympic Village, officials noted.
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Man I hate to say it South Korea, but you guys look like chumps here. Chumps! How do you get stuck with this bill? Feels like North Korea threatens to drop a bomb every other week: they should be thanking everybody for letting them come to the Olympics! Usually countries that don’t behave don’t come: they get put in Olympic timeout. See Russia over there sulking in the corner? Yeah exactly, that should be you, North Korea.
You lucked out in that you have a sibling country that actually behaves itself and doesn’t murder people with antiaircraft guns and starvation, and you get to compete with them. It’s just an absolutely savage move to make them pay for you. “Hey thanks for doing us a favor and putting on a good show of unity, you mind just throwing down your card for this 2 million dollar hotel bill? Thanks.” It just makes it absolutely clear who the big brother is in the Korea family. I’m torn here, because on one hand, South Korea, you can’t get pushed around like this. On the other hand, if this keeps us from being turned into radioactive ash, so be it.
