By Korea.net Honorary Reporter Nadine Postigo from the Philippines

In 2016, I was in Korea to tour parts of the country after being invited by Korea.net with my fellow Honorary Reporters. I remember smiling immediately when we came across the mascots for the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, Soohorang the white tiger and Bandabi the Asiatic black bear. They really had a cute and charming way to get people excited about the upcoming Winter Olympics.

The world had its eye on the PyeongChang games, and they ended successfully. For those of you who've been too busy to keep up with the Winter Games, here are three inspiring movies to hopefully get you into the Olympic spirit.

Many were in-awe when North Korea and South Korea marched as one in the Opening Ceremony. It was a historical moment, for them to march under one flag. It sparked hope for the future. That's why I’m starting with the movie "As One" (코리아) (2012).

The 2012 movie, which starred Ha Ji-won and Bae Doo-na, was based on a true story about the first time that South and North Korea united as a sports team for the 1991 World Table Tennis Championships in Japan. South Korean table tennis player Hyung Jung-hwa was partnered with North Korean Li Bun Hui and the two sides of the team trained together for the competition.

Despite their differences, the two were able build camaraderie and successfully brought home the gold medal, defeating China. The two Koreas have not gotten the chance to reunite after that competition due to numerous reasons, but they both expressed their desire to see each other again. It just goes to show you how they were able to build friendship in spite of the formal tension between the two.



This year’s Winter Games also had a united Korean team, just like Korea’s unified women’s ice hockey team, which is related to the next movie I’m about to share: "Run Off" (국가대표2) (2016).

Released in 2016, "Run Off" is inspired by true events surrounding the formation of the first women’s ice hockey team from Korea. The movie showed how women from different backgrounds, like a North Korean defector, a short track speed skater, a former figure skater, a student, and a middle-aged woman, were recruited to be in the first female national hockey team in time for the 2003 Asian Winter Games.

With a goal in mind, the team was able to come together and work hard to prove itself capable as national athletes. The cast includes Soo-Ae, Oh Yeonseo, Oh Dalsu and Kim Seulgi. The women who inspired the movie qualified to compete at the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games for the first time.

Last, but definitely not least, is the 2009 movie "Take Off" (국가대표), which became the second best-selling movie in Korea that year. It's also partially based on the story of the first Korean ski jump team that participated in the Nagano 1998 Olympic Winter Games. Like in "Run Off," the movie is about recruiting people to represent Korea. With no proper training, the athletes had to be innovative in how they trained, determined to make the best of what they had. From a rocky beginning, they soared and won numerous competitions worldwide.

Both "Take Off" and "Run Off" were screened at the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippine to celebrate the opening of the PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games on Feb. 9.

After seeing those movies, I read up on the real people and events that inspired the films. It definitely opened my eyes and expanded my knowledge. Even though we’re not aspiring athletes, these movies can be inspiring to each viewer. All three films were heart-warming.

It may be challenging and hard in the beginning. Things may not go according to plan or run smoothly. However, passion, effort, persistence and teamwork are great combinations that can lead toward the road to fulfilling our dreams.

wisdom117@korea.kr

* This article is written by a Korea.net Honorary Reporter. Our group of Honorary Reporters are from all around the world, and they share with Korea.net their love and passion for all things Korean.