A striking contrast in temperature at Jamsil Olympic Park. Around the round handball stadium below, citizens can be seen calling for a 'reelection due to election fraud.' In the red zone above, crowds have gathered for an idol concert. 

As a North Korean defector who has lived in both a 'country that is always hungry' and a 'country that is always full,' I would like to share my thoughts.

South Korea is currently facing a situation where the entire nation is about to be silenced due to the implementation of the “Act on Promotion of Information and Communications Network Utilization and Information Protection, etc.” (Information and Communications Network Act) on July 7th.

Those of us who have lived in a dictatorship know exactly how terrifying the “Information and Communications Network Act” created by the Lee Jae-myung administration is. Yet, the South Koreans who are the primary subjects of this law seem to have no thoughts on the matter at all.

Instead, these days, all anyone talks about is World Cup soccer. It is truly thought-provoking to see people—who call themselves conservative right-wingers—screaming and calling for coach Hong Myung-bo’s head simply because the team lost.

At a glance, these people may appear to be patriots who love the Republic of Korea dearly, but that is not the case at all.

Some might criticize me for saying this, but I will be honest. Looking at these people, I think, "South Koreans with full bellies truly think differently."

Of course, no one is happy when their national team loses, nor is anyone unhappy when they win. However, that is only a luxury you can afford when your belly is full.

Honestly, the thoughts of hungry North Koreans are different. When your family is starving to death because there is no food to eat, what joy is there in the North Korean women's soccer team winning first place?

Even this time, the only person who was happy about North Korea's women's soccer team winning was Kim Jong-un. In fact, many North Korean citizens actually hoped that North Korea would lose in soccer and all other international competitions.

But what about South Korea? Just like a well-fed cat that has no interest in catching mice, the people are so full that they have no thoughts at all. They are just happy when South Korean soccer wins and furious when it loses.

It is, of course, a fundamental principle that politics should not interfere with sports. However, there is no one on this planet who would praise their country and their leader for winning a soccer game while their own children and parents are starving to death.

Look at South Korea today! In a country that was once free, we are now seeing the emergence of the 5.18 Special Act, the "Lee Jae-myung son protection act," five-year prison sentences for criticizing China, and ten-year sentences for criticizing the National Election Commission—various evil laws designed to bind the people in stocks.

Yet, well-fed South Koreans live in Lee Jae-myung's country, which follows the path of North Korea and China, without a single thought. All they want is to destroy Hong Myung-bo for causing a soccer loss.

Such people are truly foolish, unaware of the truth that sports can only flourish when a country is established on a sound foundation. North Korea and China are the proof of that.

If you are a citizen who truly wishes for South Korea to win at soccer, join in the action to set the country right. That is true patriotism.

A striking contrast in temperature at Jamsil Olympic Park. Around the round handball stadium below, citizens can be seen calling for a 'reelection due to election fraud.' In the red zone above, crowds have gathered for an idol concert. 

◆ Advisor Kim Tae-san

Advisor to the Korea-US Daily, former representative of a North Korean trade company in the Czech Republic. In South Korea, he serves as the Vice President of the Institute for North Korean Social Research, providing in-depth insights and experience regarding inter-Korean relations and North Korean issues.