[War & Business] The Olympic Truce Fades in Paris

Unprecedented Military-Scale Security Deployment
Heightened Protection for Israeli, Ukrainian, and Russian Athletes

On the 21st (local time), French soldiers are standing guard in front of the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. [Image source=AFP·Yonhap News]

One of the distinctive features of the 2024 Paris Olympics is the largest-ever security personnel deployment. More than 75,000 armed personnel, including approximately 55,000 French military and police officers and 20,000 private security guards, have occupied various parts of the city. Anti-aircraft missile bases have been installed in multiple locations, over 40,000 barricades have been erected, and drones used by tourists for filming are being indiscriminately shot down. For the first time since World War II, a de facto military operation is taking place in the heart of a European city.

The unprecedented heavy security presence has drawn uneasy reactions both inside and outside France. This is because the fundamental Olympic spirit, which prioritizes maintaining a truce during the Games, has been shaken. The 2024 Olympics, held amid two ongoing conflicts?the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas clashes?opened without achieving a truce despite efforts by the United Nations (UN) and various countries.

The truce during the Olympic period is a tradition dating back to the ancient Greek Olympics and was the true reason for the Olympics’ existence. In ancient Greece, the Olympic truce was called 'Ekecheiria,' usually translated as 'sacred truce.' Its original meaning was 'to clasp hands,' signifying a cessation of hostilities among the roughly 400 fragmented city-states across Greece during the Olympia Games, allowing them to compete in sports instead of war. Consequently, the Olympic period naturally became a window for dialogue and negotiation between hostile states.

Since the modern Olympics began in Athens in 1896, this spirit of truce has been upheld, but it has become completely meaningless in the 21st century. Since the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994, the UN has issued truce resolutions at every Olympic Games for 30 years, but none have succeeded. On August 8, 2008, the opening day of the Beijing Olympics, Russia invaded Georgia, provoking China’s displeasure. Later, during the 2014 Sochi Olympics, Russian forces attacked Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula immediately after the Games ended, sparking international outrage.

The failure of the Olympic truce not only undermines the Olympic spirit but also results in enormous financial burdens for the host countries. The French government planned to spend only $8.8 billion (approximately 12.19 trillion KRW), about a quarter of the $35 billion (approximately 48.49 trillion KRW) spent on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. However, with tens of thousands of security personnel deployed, costs are expected to far exceed this budget.

The increased expenses are not only due to the one-time costs of deploying large-scale personnel for the opening and closing ceremonies but also because of the security required for athletes from conflict zones. French military and police are providing 24-hour close protection for athletes from war-affected countries such as Palestine, Israel, Ukraine, and Russia. Nevertheless, large and small terrorist acts continue to occur, including simultaneous fires on the TGV railway lines connecting northern, western, and eastern Paris on the day before the opening ceremony, the 26th, keeping tensions high.

The security challenges of the Paris Olympics, which began under the shadow of two wars, are expected to be experienced by all countries hosting large-scale sporting events in the future. If security measures control all access points and restrict tourist movement, local merchants and residents will no longer welcome the Olympics. Seoul, preparing to bid for the 2036 Summer Olympics, will need to seriously consider the issue of security costs.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.