The 2018 Winter Para-Olympic: Opening Ceremony Pt.3

A continuation of Part 2; https://watchitdie.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/the-2018-winter-para-olympic-opening.html

Para, Parenthesis?:

This sequence was centred around a rather dubious proposition.

We were introduced to an Elementary School aged, visually impaired girl whose name was given as; "Lee So-jung."

It is claimed that Lee So-jung is a talented artist who uses her imagination to draw what her visual impairment does not allow her to see. Her apparent skill of Extra-Sensory Perception led her to be the subject of a 2016 documentary entitled; "Blind Angel."

I have researched these claims extensively and found nothing to support them. Leading me to believe the Dokkaebi are back, messing with the foreigners.

There is a reasonably famous Korean singer named Lee So-jung or simply; "Sojung." After placing in the top 8 in the first (2012) season of the Korean version of; "The Voice" she went on to become a founding member of the Korean Pop (K-Pop) girl band; "Ladies Code."

In September 2014 Ladies Code were involved in a horrific car accident at the Singal Junction on the Yeongdong Expressway. Two of the band members - EunB and RiSe - were killed and Sojung was badly injured.

After Sojung and the other two members of the band - Ashley and Zuny - had recovered from their injuries the band continued as a three piece.

There is also a very famous Blind Angel named; "Samael."

The Olympic Opening Ceremony compared the Creation Myths of Korea's traditional Animist religions with the Creation Myth of the Abrahamic religions.

The widely accepted version of the Abrahamic Creation Myth is laid down in the Biblical book of Genesis. It is rather simple; A single god in another dimension creates the human dimension in six days and rests on the seventh.

There are more complex fringe versions of the story though. Particularly in Kabbalah - the mystical interpretation of Judaism.

This posits that there is only one god. However the dimension of god - Heaven - is split into seven sub-regions or chambers. Each of those chambers is controlled by an Archangel - essentially god's lieutenant.

The seventh chamber is controlled by the Archangel Samael although he lives in the fifth chamber. Samael is considered to be the Angel of Death, Temptation and Sin. In more conventional interpretations of the Abrahamic religions Samael is known by the name; "Satan."

The Abrahamic Creation Myth describes the birth of humanity as God's creation of the first man - Adam. God then creates the first woman - Eve - and the two live together in the Garden of Eden before Eve is tempted by a snake and the two are expelled from the garden.

Some believe that Samael initially opposed the creation of man. His response to was create Lilith - a demon to keep Adam company who is considered his first wife. It is Samael who appeared as the snake to punish Eve for replacing Lilith as Adam's wife.

Mainstream Abrahamic religions consider Satan to be a separate force in opposition to God. However in Kabbalah Samael is considered to be God's servant. His job is to punish on God's behalf. In order to follow God's instructions blindly Samael is known as; "The Blind Angel."

Samael is also sometimes referred to as; "The Poison of God" or; "The Blindness of God."

That prompts discussion about the way that - particularly in Abrahamic religions - disability has in the past been viewed as some sort of curse or punishment by God.

The drawings Lee So-jung produced during this sequence were projected in light onto the arena floor. They were inspired by the sea which sits between Korea's east coast - just beyond PyeongChang - and the west of Japan.

The name you use to describe this sea is one of the most controversial topics concerning the International Hydrographic Organisation (IHO). They refer to it as the; "Sea of Japan" arguing that is the commonly used name.

However the Sea of Japan name only came into common usage during Japan's occupation of the Korean Peninsula between 1910 and 1945. So in 1992 both the RoK and the DPRK raised an objection to this name at the UN's Sixth Conference on the Standardisation of Geographical Names.

Alongside wanting the distinguish the sea from Japan the RoK and the DPRK also want to distinguish it from each other. So the RoK want it to be named the; "East Sea" while the DPRK want it to be named the; "Korean East Sea." This division has only served to help Japan's claim.

The IHO continue to refuse to acknowledge either of the Korean names for the sea. However the UN and some more enlightened map makers have taken to labelling it with the Japanese name and the RoK name in parenthesis. So; 

Sea of Japan (East Sea).

These open and close brackets or parenthesis have become something of a talking point amongst Internet users.

Anti-Semitic Internet users including Neo-Nazis and some Muslims have taken to putting multiple parenthesis around the names of Jewish people. Including those who believe in the Kabbalah. For example;

((((Benjamin Netanyahu))))

Here the parenthesis are supposed to signify the crimes of Jews echoing through history.

Inspired by the sea just east of PyeongChang Lee So-jung's drawings obviously featured various forms of aquatic life. Most prominently a Blue Whale.

The promotes discussion about the UN's recent focus on protecting the global marine environment. Most notably at the June 2017 Ocean Conference and the appointment of Peter Thomson as a Special Envoy for the Oceans.

As a global effort the reduction of particularly plastic pollution in the World's ocean is a large topic. It includes things like China's 2018 decision to no longer take in the World's plastic waste for recycling as it tries to expand its economy beyond being the; "Workshop of the World."

It must be said though that this current focus on ocean pollution seems driven by a desire to distract people from the fact the Paris Agreement won't combat Climate Change.

Towards the end of the sequence Lee So-jung's drawing of aquatic life seemed to turn to stone. In reference to fossils. Which certainly challenge the Abrahamic Creation myth.

It also raises the question of how long it is before ocean life we currently see will soon become extinct.

You may well have noticed the similarities between this sequence and the sequence produced by China in the Olympic Closing Ceremony. Where they too projected an image of a Blue Whale in what resembled a counterfeit of a Japanese Sony Bravia TV commercial.

The sea just east of PyeongChang is home to what I will term the; "Liancourt Rocks." 

Both the RoK and the DPRK are in dispute over control of these islands with Japan. Officially it was the dispute between the RoK and the DPRK over the Liancourt Rocks which prevented the two nations marching as a single team in the Parade of Nations.

Japan is also currently in dispute with China over control of a set of islands which I am going to refer to as the; "Pinnacle Islands." These are located in the East China Sea significantly south of the Korean Peninsula.

These islands are known to the Japanese as the; "Senkaku Islands" and to China as the; "Diaoyu Islands." China is also in dispute with its Taiwan province who refer to the islands as the; "Diaoyutai Islands."

By so closely referencing China's contribution the RoK seem to be indicating they would be prepared to support China's claim to the Pinnacle Islands. Provided China is prepared to back the RoK in its own dispute with Japan over the Liancourt Rocks.

At around 18:15 I'm going to have to pick this up later. Not necessarily today.

Edited at around 17:25 on 13/3/18 (UK date) to add above and below;

The Dream of Children: 

The black arena floor that had been Lee So-jung's canvas suddenly became white. The white of the snow and ice of winter sports.

Lee So-jung was joined in the arena by Bandabi - the mascot of the games. Bandabi is an Asiatic Black Bear which is local to Gangwon Province where the games are being held. It is actually the symbol of the province.

Asiatic Black Bear's are distinguished by a white crescent moon marking on their chests. This provides a nice link with Soohorang - the mascot of the Olympics. Soohorang is a White Tiger one of the Four Guardians. On one level these are the names of the constellations of stars.

Bandabi was riding a snowboard with wheels. Something which is easy to mistake for a skateboard.

The Olympic Closing Ceremony featured skate-skiers. Essentially skis on wheels. This was a little joke at the expense of 2022 Winter games host China. Although it has the winter games Beijing, China doesn't really have snow. Or much interest in Winter sports.

Bandabi's wheeled snowboard also seemed to be a little reference to the 2020 Summer games to be held in Japan. That will include skateboarding for the first time.

Lee So-jung and Bandabi where then joined by lots of elementary school aged children all enjoying winter sports.

Much like scenes in the US TV Show; "A Handmaids Tale" these are apparently the only children in the RoK.

Then arrived in the arena what was described as a; "Paraboat." Although this looked nothing like any boat I've ever seen.

Not even the "Geobukseon" or; "Turtle Ship" invented by the Koreans during the Joseon Dynasty to fight off Japanese invaders.

The Paraboat is also not powered like any boat I've ever seen. Apparently it is powered by children's dreams.

This made this mysterious contraption resemble something from a Doctor Suess book.

This seemed to be a little nod to the 2016 Summer Para-Olympics. In that Parade of Nations competitors were led out by performers riding some sort of bizarre Doctor Suess themed bicycle. That Opening Ceremony was of course organised by current IPC President Andrew Parsons.

It also referenced the 2014 Winter Olympic Closing Ceremony. Which these games officially pick up the baton from.

That featured a strange golden galleon-style sailing ship. However rather than floating on the sea this ship flew in the air. Held aloft by a giant hot air balloon. Of the type commonly associated with the Jules Verne novel; "Around the World in 80 Day's."

This was very similar to a contraption used in the 1988 British/American children's fantasy movie; "The Adventures of Baron von Munchhausen."

The 2018 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony introduced the themes of the different types of power. Such as; "Hard Power," "Soft Power" and the newly invented; "Sharp Power."

One of the main architects of Soft Power was Nazi Germany propaganda chief  Joesph Goebbels.

At the time war propaganda was really focused on trashing your enemy while repeatedly drumming into the audience at home how great their nation is and how well the war was going.

Goebbels realised that it was also important to amuse and entertain your audience. In part to distract them from the hardships of everyday life and in part because people like people who amuse them.

The 1943 Goebbels produced movie; "The Adventures of Baron von Munchhausen" is widely recognised as one of the first examples of Soft Power.

Guided by Bandabi Lee So-jung climbed about the Paraboat and it floated in the air. There Lee So-jung treated us to a song. Introducing us to the concept of Lee So-jung the singer.

While this was going on there was a mass performance of break dancing by South Korean performers. And Bandabi who really got into it.

This example of "Cultural Appropriation" - South Korean dancers performing a traditional African American for of dance - no doubt drove Obama's BLM warriors into a fury.

During the performance there was a projection of the constellations of the stars onto the arena floor. This display included the colours of the Wu Xing.

This highlighted the connection between Bandabi and Soohorang and the other Four Guardians. It also referenced the concept of Unified Quantum Field Theory of physics not exactly being a new idea to Korean Taoists who follow the Wu Xing.

Into the arena were brought light sculptures showing the core Winter Para-Olympic sports. Essentially these were wire sculptures with lightbulbs attached.

These looked similar to the Augmented Reality (AR) sequences during the Olympic Opening Ceremony. However because they physically existed within the arena the audience could actually see them.

The sequence then ended with a short video made up of animations of the light sculptures. However the audience could not see that.

18:25 on 13/3/18 (UK date).