Replica jerseys of the Korean unified women's hockey team are not for sale.GETTY IMAGES
South Korea President Moon Jae-in calls Pyeongchang 2018 the "Peace Olympics" but the peace message is "not catching on with Olympic sponsors," which are concerned that it "could put them too close to a hot-button issue: North Korea's participation in the Games," according to Baker & Kim of REUTERS. Iain Jamieson, the Korea country manager for Visa, a TOP Olympics sponsor, said, "Don't get me wrong, I thought when they marched out, it was a big statement and everyone cheered. There is a polarization within Korea about whether they are for it or against it. The unified hockey team is not polling well with the younger demographic. All the brands are probably trying to stay away from that." This is "backed up by a review of social media campaigns by two dozen global and local sponsors," including Visa, Samsung Electronics and Coca-Cola. Replicas of the jersey worn by the unified team, featuring a map of an undivided Korean peninsula, are not for sale "even though hockey jerseys are a big seller after a Winter Olympics." An exec at South Korean retail conglomerate Lotte, a local Olympic sponsor and exclusive seller of Pyeongchang merchandise, said that the company "took notice" when people in their 20s and 30s "opposed the decision," saying, "They are a key customer base for us. We wouldn't want to upset anyone by going anywhere near the issue" (REUTERS, 2/21).
