National Sport’s Popularity Waning

“Lee Man-ki became the strongest man among ssireum players at twenty. He won the title by beating Choi Wook-jin, the fox of the sand-ring. It was a coup that pulled down the twin top system with Hong Hyeong-wook and Lee Joon-hui. 27,000 people in total attended the first Strongest Man in Ssireum Tournament held at Jangchung Stadium over four days.”

This is part of Dong-A’s front-page story on page 8 titled “Who I Am—Lee Man-ki, the Strongest Man” in April 18, 1983.

However, ssireum, which became Korea’s national sport with stars such as Lee Man-ki, Lee bong-keol and Kang Ho-dong in the 1980s, is now crumbling.

New Year’s Day Strongman Tournament Cancelled –

Strongest Man Choi Hong-man and Lee Tae-hyeon quit the ssireum world to become K-1 fighters. All the pro ssireum groups were disbanded except the Hyundai Samho Heavy Industry Team. The Korea Ssireum Organization, which manages pro teams, cannot host a tournament on its own.

The Korea Amateur Ssireum Association, which supported about twenty amateur teams in tournaments, announced its decision to go its own way. It formed the Folk Ssireum Committee to host its own ssireum tournaments for the reason that the KSO was not doing its part to promote ssireum.

The problem is that the two organizations are all concerned about the hegemony of the ssireum world.

The KASA argues that it agreed with the KSO in June of 2005 to participate in folk ssireum tournaments only for a certain period. However, the KSO is protesting that the KASA promised to continue to participate in the tournaments until ssireum is revitalized.

The KSO was planning to make a 1.2 billion won broadcasting contract with KBS for total nine tournaments in 2007 and receive more than 1 billion won from sponsors such as Kookmin Bank.

As KASA announced that amateur teams would not participate, however, the New Year’s Day Strongman Ssireum Tournament to be held at Jangchung Stadium for two days from February 18 was cancelled.

KASA secretary-general Lee Hong-ki said on January 18, “All our work to negotiate with KBS for broadcasting and find sponsors was stopped as the New Year’s Day Tournament was cancelled. The sport has been on decline since the foreign exchange crisis. At the moment ssireum was about to be revitalized, the KASA decided not to cooperate.”

KASA To Host Tournaments on Its Own –

The KASA’s position is that it does not want to watch the KSO host tournaments while competitions are mostly made of amateur teams. It is planning to host its own tournaments through the Folk Ssireum Committee.

KASA managing director Lee Hyeong-seok said, “The tournament will be held at Jangchung Stadium or at a stadium in the suburban area. We are negotiating for broadcasting and sponsorship.”

It is also planning to add a special provision to the Committee Rules to make pro teams under the KSO participate.

Ssireum tournaments are not to be hosted for the time being as KSO with its know-how of business and the KASA with its management of amateur teams are fighting over hegemony. Experts advise the two organizations to stop fighting and start collaborating for the goal of revitalizing the folk sport.

“The KSO and the KASA should cooperate for united business. The government needs to support ssireum since the corporate world is not interested in pro ssireum teams,” said Lee Man-ki, the first Strongest Man in 1983 and currently Inje University Sports & Leisure Studies professor.

beetlez@donga.com