Seoul Reminds Citizens of North Korea Flag Ban

SPORTS SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2014 Asian Games: 2020 vision for Olympic hosts Japan TOKYO: Japan hope the appliance swimmer Kosuke Kitajima and of science can trigger an Asian marathon runner Naoko Takahashi. Games gold rush but admit they will Japan expect to make a splash in struggle to steal hosts South Korea’s the pool after winning seven gold thunder, insisting that building medals at last month’s Pan Pacific momentum for the 2020 Tokyo championships in Australia, where Olympics is their top priority. Kosuke Hagino’s 200m individual It would take an astonishing effort medley victory over his hero Michael for the Japanese to finish above their Phelps stole headlines. fierce rivals in the medals table for Yasuhiro Koseki completed the the first time since staging Asia’s 100-200m breaststroke double-as biggest sporting event 20 years ago Kitajima famously did at the 2004 in Hiroshima. and 2008 Olympics-and will be Japan’s delegation boss Tsuyoshi favourite to repeat that at an Asian Aoki expects South Korea to come Games swimming competition also out guns blazing when the competi- boasting China’s Olympic champion tion begins in the western port of Sun Yang and South Korea star Park Incheon on September 19, but said Tae-hwan. the quadrennial event offered the “Koseki has got a big body and he perfect opportunity for potential will be among the medals,” said future Olympic medallists to shine. Kitajima, who broke his first world “The Asian Games are the first record at the 2002 Asian Games in step for Japan on the road to the Busan. “He pushes himself extremely Tokyo Olympics,” Aoki told AFP. hard in training which is where his “Winning medals is important of power comes from. It’s a big year for course but the key factor is the plat- him.” form to produce stars for the future. It’s a stepping stone for them. Combat threat “Our coaching staff conduct hi- Away from the Speedos and chlo- tech research on the condition of the rine, Japan’s medal hopes extend athletes, closely analysing computer across athletics, football, badminton data to ensure optimal perform- and even women’s cricket, in addi- ance,” he added. “We hope to tion to their bread-and-butter com- improve on the 48 gold medals we bat sports judo and wrestling, where ATHENS: In this file picture taken 15 August 2004, Kosuke won four years ago but obviously we the fearsome Saori Yoshida will strike Kitajima from Japan celebrates after winning the men’s 100m know South Korea will be very terror into her opponents. breastroke final at the 2004 Olympic Games at the Olympic tough.” The 31-year-old has won the last Aquatic Center in Athens. Japan hope the appliance of sci- China’s juggernaut has dominat- three Olympic titles at 55 kilos and 12 ence can trigger an Asian Games gold rush but admit they ed the Asian Games since 1982 but straight world titles, and any result will struggle to steal hosts South Korea’s thunder, insisting the event has often served as a other than a fourth straight Asian that building momentum for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics is launching pad to world and Olympic Games crown would be a seismic their top priority. —AFP success for Japanese athletes, as with shock. —AFP Seoul reminds citizens of North Korea flag ban SEOUL: With the opening ceremony of the “The North Korean flag itself can be prob- into the stadiums,” Unification Ministry Incheon Asian Games just one week away, lematic according to National Security Law and spokesman Lim Byeong-cheol said at a regular South Korea’s government issued a stern there is some anti-North Korean sentiment briefing. reminder to its citizens yesterday that they are among the older generation so the committee “Our position has not significantly changed banned from carrying the North Korean flag. has had to discuss the issue with the govern- since the situations in 2002 and 2003,” added Seoul’s Unification Ministry said the North’s ment.” Lim, referring to visits by North Korean athletes flag would only be allowed to fly inside Asian Lee confirmed that the flags of the 45 coun- for the 2002 Busan Asian Games and the Games stadiums and other official venues such tries competing at the 17th Asian Games had Universiade in Daegu the following year. as the athletes village, and that it would not be been taken down from roads in Incheon as well “At the time, there was also limited flying of hoisted on the streets of host city Incheon. as neighbouring cities hosting events. The flags the North Korean flag only at official cere- Organisers of the Games have confirmed have been replaced by OCA flags and Games monies, at stadiums and in the athletes’ village. they had taken down flags of participating emblems. As far as I am aware, the flag was not flown on countries (NOCs) due to complaints from con- Strict security law the streets near the stadium.” servative groups about the North Korean flag Tensions between North and South Korea South Korea’s strict National Security Act and concerns that it could spark trouble. are high and the two states are still technically vows to “restrict anti-state acts that endanger However, this would appear to contravene the at war after the 1950-53 Korean War ended in a national security, and to protect (the) nation’s spirit of Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) article truce, not a peace treaty. safety and its people’s life and freedom.” 58, which stipulate: “In all the stadiums and in The North’s participation in Incheon was in The law was first introduced in 1948 as a their neighbourhood the OCA Flag must be doubt only a few months ago after discussions countermeasure against the then communist freely flown with the flags of the competing with the South about the details of its delega- North, but has remained in place ever since NOCs”. tion broke down. with few amendments. In a 2012 report, Lee Cha-ho, overseas press relations man- Late last month it announced it had decid- Amnesty International called on the South ager, told Reuters on Friday that the complicat- ed not to send a squad of 350 cheerleaders to Korean government to abolish the act, which it ed relationship between South and North Incheon and accused Seoul of “abusing sacred said “undermined citizens’ enjoyment of the Korea meant it was difficult to abide by the sports and cultural exchange” for a “sinister right to freedom of expression and associa- TOKYO: A file picture taken on October 13, 2008 regulation governing where flags had to be political purpose”. tion”. shows Japan’s Saori Yoshida (red) fighting with flown. “It could be seen that the organising Seoul’s Unification Ministry reinforced the North Korea is sending a 273-member dele- Ukraine’s Tatyana Lazareva during the final of the committee is violating OCA article 58 in princi- government’s position on the flag issue early gation of athletes and officials to Incheon and 55kg class of the Women’s Wrestling World ple, but the relationship between the North yesterday. “Our citizens are prohibited from the first batch arrived on a direct flight from Championships in Tokyo. —AFP and the South is a unique situation,” said Lee. possessing and bringing North Korean flags Pyongyang late on Thursday. —Reuters.

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