Para-Sport Activism in South Korea

Smith, Brett

Abstract

While there has been a recent increase in research on para-sport activism, little attention has been given to para-sport contexts in non-Western countries. Accordingly, in this chapter we discuss para-sport activism in South Korea. We begin by providing a historical overview of disability activism and the Paralympic movement in South Korea. Following this, drawing on empirical investigations recently undertaken, we discuss activist propensities between para-athletes and disabled non-athletes in South Korea. Given the importance of cultural milieus that emerged from these findings, we then outline how Western (e.g., modern liberalism) and East Asian (e.g., Confucianism) culture can both enable and constrain para-sport activism. We also reflect on how para-sport activism can be promoted by highlighting contemporary approaches from the International Paralympic Committee and Korea Paralympic Committee. In doing so, we discuss the perspective of cultural legacy to promote para-sport activism in South Korea. We end the chapter by providing directions for further research on para-sport activism as a unique contemporary perspective within wider athlete activism research.

Citation

Smith, B. (2022). Para-Sport Activism in South Korea. In B. Powis, J. Brighton, & P. David Howe (Eds.), Researching Disability Sport. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003153696-16

• Online Publication Date: Feb 1, 2023
• Publication Date: 2022
• Deposit Date: Feb 23, 2025
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 27, 2025
• Publisher: Routledge
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Book Title: Researching Disability Sport
• ISBN: 9781003153696
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003153696-16
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/3543898