US Lunchbox Supply, How Is It Different from Korea... Japan's Silence

The Korea Sports Council's meal center, which supports the Korean athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics, delivered lunch boxes to the athletes on the 20th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hwang Sumi] While Japan criticized the Korean Olympic team for having separate meals using Korean food ingredients, it has shown a double standard by not taking any particular stance when the United States set up a dining center for its own athletes.

According to foreign media including USA Today on the 21st (local time), the United States Olympic Committee prepared about 32.7 tons of food and beverages to provide 7,000 meals to the athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics. This measure aims to offer food that suits the tastes of the U.S. athletes competing in the Olympics.

To this end, the U.S. established a dining center near Ogura Sports Park in Setagaya Ward, Tokyo, and placed large orders for meat from American companies in Japan and salmon from local fisheries.

The Korean Sport & Olympic Committee is also providing lunch boxes made with Korean food ingredients to the Korean athletes. They have rented a hotel about 20 minutes away from the Olympic Village to operate a dining center preparing lunch boxes for the Korean team, dispatching 24 staff members including cooks and nutritionists from Korea for this purpose.

Japan showed different reactions to Korea and the U.S. setting up separate meals for their athletes.

Japan strongly opposed the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee’s news of bringing in Korean food ingredients, stating that "there is no need to doubt food ingredients from Fukushima." Japanese media also flooded with numerous articles criticizing Korea for "claiming risks of agricultural and marine products from Fukushima Prefecture after safety inspections."

However, Japan has not issued any particular statement regarding the same actions by the U.S., nor can any Japanese media reports on this be found.

On the 20th, the head of the Athlete Village Operations Department of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, along with other committee staff, inspected the situation at the local meal support center assisting the Korean delegation participating in the Tokyo Olympics. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Japan claims that while Korea raised concerns about radioactive contamination and questioned "Fukushima-sourced food ingredients," the U.S. did not mention this issue.

Japanese netizens pointed out that the U.S. separate dining facility is acceptable, and that the purpose of Korea’s dining facility operation is fundamentally different. They criticized, saying, "The U.S. manages athletes’ nutrition and health with food tailored to their preferences and tastes," but "Korea says they do not want to eat Fukushima food without any logical basis."

However, there are also many voices within Japan opposing the double standard applied to Korea and the U.S. Some netizens responded, "There are too many insincere Japanese people. Many Japanese also do not eat Fukushima-sourced food and meals," "Korea and the U.S. are right in their judgment. It is the Japanese government and local authorities that ignore the safety and health of their people," "Protecting one’s own citizens is a natural act," and "What on earth are the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Japanese government, and the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee thinking, as they say nothing about the U.S.?"