The Secret Behind South Korean Women's Archery Team's 10 Consecutive Olympic Wins

Xiaomei(a pseudonym), a Chinese student studying in Korea, fell into a complex state of mind while watching the Olympics in Korea. This was because the South Korean women’s archery team had won their 10th consecutive Olympic title, defeating China in the finals this time. Meanwhile, China had only managed to win silver medals five times. Xiaomei likened it to a condition similar to “Korean-phobia” in football, wondering why Chinese athletes always lose when facing South Korean athletes.

[Korean Today] South Korean women’s archery team celebrating their victory in the team event at the Paris Olympics (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News) © Columnist Park Chandoo

Xiaomei tried to find the reason but couldn’t easily pinpoint it. She thought of several reasons. South Korean athletes, regardless of their opponents, remain calm and composed, and even if they make mistakes, they don’t blame others, but blame themselves..

She was also impressed by how the athletes treated their defeated opponents with respect and behaved gentlemanly both on and off the field. Particularly, she was moved by the actions of shooter Oh Sang-wook, who helped a fallen opponent stand up, and waited for an opponent who missed the start signal to get ready before attacking.

[Korean Today] South Korean men’s archery team celebrating their victory in the team event at the Paris Olympics (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News) © Columnist Park Chandoo

Watching these athletes, one can see that South Korean athletes possess the qualities of scholars and gentlemen. It made her think that the spirit of Hongik Ingan and Gwangmyeong Ise, the founding principles of Korea, must be ingrained in their genes. She wondered if the genetic traits of Koreans, who have been known as the Dongyi tribe, are what make them excel in archery, shooting, and fencing.

[Korean Today] Goguryeo warrior shooting an arrow in a Goguryeo mural (Photo courtesy of Naver Photo News) © Columnist Park Chandoo

Historically, Koreans were also called the Dongyi tribe. ‘Dong’ means ‘east’, and ‘Yi’ is a combination of ‘big’ and ‘bow’, meaning ‘people with big bows’. ‘Yi’ also means ‘barbarian’ and ‘to harm’. The Chinese referred to the eastern tribes that were skilled in archery as ‘barbarians’, and since big bows could harm people, it also came to mean ‘to harm’. Over time, it also came to mean ‘virtuous people’ who protected others with their big bows.

Jumong, the founder of Goguryeo, was also known for his archery skills, and the archery scenes in Goguryeo murals show that archery was a part of daily life. Bows were used for hunting in peacetime and for defense in wartime, helping Koreans overcome numerous invasions, earning them the reputation of being a warrior nation.

[Korean Today] Image of the Sui Dynasty’s invasion of Goguryeo with 1.13 million troops (Source: History Journal That Day) © Columnist Park Chandoo

In 598, Emperor Wen of the Sui Dynasty invaded Goguryeo with 300,000 troops but had to retreat due to floods, epidemics, and storms in Liaodong.

In 611, Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty invaded with 1.13 million troops but was blocked at Liaodong Fortress and had to retreat after losing 300,000 troops at the Battle of Salsu. He attempted a third invasion in 613 with 400,000 troops but failed to capture Liaodong Fortress and had to retreat due to internal rebellion. In 614, he invaded for the fourth time, capturing Bise Fortress but retreated after Goguryeo surrendered a minister to save face.

In 645, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty invaded Goguryeo with 300,000 troops but failed to capture Ansi Fortress, defended by Yang Manchun. Despite mobilizing 500,000 men to build an earthen wall, he was eventually forced to retreat after being hit in the eye by an arrow from Yang Manchun.

[Korean Today] Image of the Battle of Ansi Fortress (Source: Movie Ansi Fortress) © Columnist Park Chandoo

The story of Emperor Taizong being hit by an arrow first appeared in the poem ‘Jingguan Yin’ by Lee Saek during the late Goryeo period, which mentions, “I thought it was a rat in a bag, but who knew it would be hit in the eye by an arrow.”

[Korean Today] Image of Emperor Taizong hit by an arrow (Source: SBS historical drama “Yeon Gaesomun”) © Columnist Park Chandoo

Yeonam Park Ji-won wrote in his ‘Jehol Diary’ that Emperor Taizong was injured in the eye by Yang Manchun’s arrow. Despite being hit, Emperor Taizong gathered his soldiers beneath the fortress, praised Yang Manchun for defending the fortress well, and gave him a hundred rolls of silk before retreating. Emperor Taizong must have been utterly terrified by the indomitable spirit and remarkable archery skills of the Dongyi tribe.

In the ‘Records of the Grand Historian’, it is mentioned that Confucius, while staying in Jin (near present-day Kaifeng), identified arrows that had fallen from the sky as belonging to the Sushen tribe. This shows that Confucius was familiar with the arrows of the Sushen tribe. Some argue that the roots of Gojoseon lie in the Sushen tribe, a branch state of the Shang Dynasty. The Han Dynasty scholar Zheng Xuan explained that the Sushen were northeastern barbarians, indicating a long history of using arrows.

In ‘The Analects’, it is mentioned that “A gentleman does not compete, but if he must, he competes in archery. After saluting each other, they ascend the hall, shoot, and descend, where the loser drinks. Even in competition, they behave like gentlemen.”

The accuracy of an arrow hitting the target is attributed to oneself, not others. Therefore, a gentleman does not blame others for his mistakes but reflects on himself, emphasizing the importance of self-reflection and making it a guiding principle for self-cultivation.

When Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, dismissed South Korea and sought closer ties with North Korea, Harrison, the leading Democratic presidential candidate, emphasized that South Korea is the most important ally of the United States globally and a leading defense power dominating the European defense market. He argued that the U.S. should pursue co-growth with South Korea. The nation known for its archery and shooting skills has now emerged as a global defense powerhouse, standing as a guardian of world peace.

South Korean women’s archery has held the top position for 40 years with 10 consecutive Olympic team event wins. The spirit and genes of the Dongyi tribe, who excelled in archery and overcame numerous invasions, have been passed down to their descendants. Their indomitable spirit, relentless effort, training, corporate sponsorships, and excellent coaching have led to today’s achievements.

In addition to archery, South Korea has won gold medals in fencing and shooting, drawing attention to these combat-related sports. We hope that not only archery but also fencing and shooting will continue to develop and achieve great results in the future.

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