I was reviewing various e-mail lists and Googles on Korea, and two jumped out at me. One was from an Anglican charity, USPG which, through Towards Peace in Korea (TOPIK, not to be mistaken for an acronym for a Korean language proficiency test) is trying to scrape together a paltry £5,410 for food and fuel aid to North Korea.
The other concerned numpties with more money than sense or good taste keen amateur golfers who are flocking to Wigan golf tour organizer, Dylan Harris who currently is one of only two tour agents worldwide for tours to North Korea.
Harris’ company, Lupine Travel will sponsor the first ever official tournment in the Chosun of Peace from 26-30 April, at the sole golf course in Pyongyang. For just 999 Euros – none of that base-10 favoured by the running dogs of capitalism – you too could partake of this wonderful opportunity!
I disapprove, in principle of boycotting sporting sectors of named countries; even those in totalitarian states such as North Korea where there can be assumed to be an intimate link with the gangmasters in charge. At best it serves a sense of self-satisfaction of the proposer who is eschewing a service which they otherwise would not have sought; at worst, it is spiteful and will result in the targets of their ire becoming less receptive to any meaningful dialogue.
In this case, however, it should be seen only as a means to obtain hard currency for the Korean Addams Family which is the Kims and their hangers-on. Golf, in any situation is a luxury pursuit, and here it is entirely divorced from the experiences of the millions of poor wretches in North Korea.
For this reason, following the sinking of naval courvette RoKS Cheonang in March 2010, proposed further tightening of prohibitted luxury items to the North Korean elite including golfing items.
Film and media students from Salford University are reported to be making a film about Harris’ work to arrange this golf tour. I would be interested in seeing the end product, and hope it will follow a similar sardonic line as seen with the mesmerizing Friends of Kim documentary about the overfed buffoon and scion of loyal Fallangists, Alejandro Cao de Benos de Les y Pérez y Cacacacacacaca.
