These days, it’s rare to see children playing in schoolyards. There have been concerns for some time that school physical education classes are collapsing. According to a 2016 World Health Organization survey on physical activity among adolescents aged 11 to 17 in 146 countries, South Korea was one of the least active countries. However, there are no signs of improvement.
Every Saturday at 11am, Channel A will air the groundbreaking three-part documentary series “Squid Game is Missing,” which not only diagnoses the current crisis of neglecting physical activity in children’s lives, but also offers innovative solutions to this pressing issue.
The first half of the show will look at the reality of physical inactivity among young people and how schools, local communities and public organizations are addressing the issue. It will also introduce various initiatives to raise students’ interest in physical education, such as the opening of an archery class at Hakrim Elementary School in Chilgok County, North Gyeongsang Province, in collaboration with the Korea Archery Association. The second half, which will air next Saturday, will introduce a new sport that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of gender or physical ability. It will highlight the importance of easy exercise by using the example of “hanball,” which uses a soft ball made of sponge instead of a handball, which is heavy, hard and prone to injury. The final episode on the 22nd will introduce various sports education policies, including subsidies provided by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to provide physical education support to socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled.
Actor Park Jae-min served as the host and narrator. He is a well-known sports expert in the entertainment industry, having completed a bachelor’s degree in physical education at Seoul National University, a master’s degree at Georgetown University, and a doctorate at Seoul National University. “The all-or-nothing mentality that sees sports activities as a hindrance to studying is widespread. However, exercise and studying are not contradictory, but complementary,” he said. “I decided to participate in the documentary because I thought it was time for a social re-discussion on health and sports. In the first episode, high school student Choi Joo-eun proposes starting a basketball club at school with the support of her physical education teacher, which I think will resonate with viewers.”
“The aim of this documentary is to revive the old play culture where children enjoyed the fun of running around and playing in the playground without needing expensive toys,” said Jeong Kyung-nam, a producer at Channel A. “We hope this will be a catalyst for a revival of physical activity among children.”
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