The planned joint invasion of South and North Korea at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang (9. till 25. February) has provoked protest in Japan. The point of contention is the so-called unification flag, behind which both Korean countries want to move into the stadium.
It also shows a group of islands in the Japanese Sea, to which both countries are claiming.
“The flag is unacceptable,” said Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga:”We protested about our diplomatic channels in South Korea, and the politician also stressed that the incident was” extremely unfortunate “just before the start of the games. The Japanese government assumes that the South Korean side is dealing with this matter “in an appropriate manner”.
At the end of January, both Korean countries had made the historic Olympic deal perfect. In addition to a joint invasion, both countries will form a joint women’s ice hockey team and will compete with a joint team for the first time in history.
Between Japan, whose capital Tokyo is hosting the next Summer Games in 2020, and South Korea, a political conflict has been brewing for decades. Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had nevertheless announced that he would travel to the opening ceremony. In the margins of the visit there will also be talks with the South Korean government under President Moon Jae In.