Korean Athletes Bring Their Own Lunchboxes... Japanese Lawmaker Says "It's an Insult, IOC Should Be Protested"

Chefs are packing food into lunch boxes on the 20th at the local meal support center of the Korea Sports Council, which supports the Korean athletes participating in the Tokyo Olympics in Japan.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Heo Midam] A Japanese member of parliament has argued that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should be protested against regarding the Korean Sports Council providing lunchboxes made with Korean ingredients to the Korean delegation.

At the Japanese House of Representatives Cabinet Committee held on the 28th, Koichiro Genba (玄葉光一郞), deputy leader of the Constitutional Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives representing Fukushima Prefecture, pointed out that the Korean team had arranged separate dining facilities.

He referred to some Korean media reports stating, "The Korean delegation set up separate dining facilities to avoid Fukushima food, and the bouquets given to medalists are from Fukushima, which could cause harm from radioactive substances," and said, "Going this far is an insult." Genba said that the Japanese government should "properly speak up" regarding the Korean delegation's actions.

He also did not hesitate to make disparaging remarks about Korea. Genba said about Korea, "I have faced various things with them, but there are many evaluations and criticisms," adding, "There are voices saying that emotions come first or that they are not good at scientific and rational thinking."

Furthermore, regarding the Korean delegation using Korean-style lunchboxes, he said, "The Japanese government should protest to the IOC and demand strict caution," and added, "Consider this fight as an opportunity to inform the world how safe the things we provide are."

Lunch boxes delivered to athletes by the Korea Sports Council's Meal Support Center, which supports the Korean delegation participating in the Tokyo Olympics, on the 20th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, the Korean Sports Council, concerned about providing food made with Fukushima ingredients in the Tokyo Olympic Village, rented the Henna Hotel near the village entirely to set up a meal support center.

The meal support center consists of a cooking team of 16 people, including one nutritionist, one food inspector, and 14 cooks and kitchen staff, along with 8 support personnel from the Sports Council and 4 employees from the supplier agency providing ingredients, totaling 28 people. They plan to supply lunchboxes made with domestic ingredients to the delegation throughout the competition period.