The North Korean football players have protested their introduction with the South Korean flag by walking off the pitch. The North Korean football players were being introduced for their match against Colombia.
The North Korean football players have protested their introduction with the South Korean flag by walking off the pitch. The North Korean football players were being introduced for their match against Colombia.
However, a major gaffe occurred when the scoreboards displayed the South Korean flags alongside the North Korean football players during their individual announcements. This immediately displeased all the North Korean football supporters within the stadium. As a result of the protestations, the match was delayed for an hour and eventually kicked off at 9 PM. When it should have started at 7 PM.
A number of fans showed their displeasure by booing and even some of the fans had left the stadium before the match had started. Prior to the start of the match, the Scottish secretary announced that she was the Olympics to be an example for everything and that it could face a huge importance. However, this gaffe will certainly not go down well in Asia when the history between North Korea and South Korea is well documented. This is not the first time North Korea has been at the centre of a controversy. The country boycotted the 1998 Olympic games after not being selected as the co-host.
“The Olympics is of huge importance and the fact Hampden will be front and centre as the world turns it attention to the UK is great news for Glasgow and Scotland as a whole. The Olympics is our chance to show the world what we are capable of as a nation and the hard work of people across the country is helping ensure the success of the Games. I am looking forward to watching the game and hearing the first-ever Olympic roar at Hampden later today,” said Scottish Secretary Michael Moore ahead of the start of the match between North Korea and Colombia.