This is outrageous and I hope that the South Korean government doesn’t give in to these ridiculous demands:
North Korea has balked at South Korea playing its national anthem or raising its flag at a World Cup soccer qualifier in Pyongyang next month, claiming a neutral flag and traditional folk song should be used.
To promote unity at friendly sport events between the two Koreas in recent years, the sides have displayed a flag depicting a united Korea in blue and substituted the traditional folk song "Arirang" for their national anthems.
North Korea wants to do the same with the March 26 World Cup qualifier in the North’s capital, said Yoo Young-chol, spokesman for South’s Korea Football Association.
The two sides held a meeting in the North Korean border city of Kaesong last week to discuss the match.
But Yoo said the World Cup qualifier was an official match organized by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, which stipulates that the anthems and flags of both teams be used.
"This is not a friendly, but an official match organized by FIFA. Our position is that we should follow FIFA rules," Yoo said.
The two sides will try to narrow differences in future talks that have not yet been scheduled, but the South will ask FIFA to mediate if no agreement is reached, Yoo said. [The Canadian Press]
You would think FIFA would have ironed out something like this before awarding Pyongyang a World Cup qualifying match because this is ridiculous trying to ban the South Korean anthem. If this doesn’t show what an absolute and utter failure the Sunshine Policy is then I don’t know what will. The South Korean government has given billions of dollars in aid to North Korea and they can’t even play their own national anthem before a soccer game.
It will be interesting to see who in South Korea will be first to make excuses for Pyongyang over this. Chung Dong-young where are you?
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I think FIFA should make consession to Norks that they will no longer allowed to host any FIFA games in the future if they break any FIFA rule about flag and anthem. Wasn’t Chung Ju-mong was one of the FIFA official? He may still have some influence.
[…] between North and South Korea in Pyongyang has been officially moved to Shanghai after North Korea refused to allow the South Korean anthem to be played in Pyongyang. This is a perfect example of what ten years of […]