Last 26th, started off with a fiasco even before the opening ceremonies. The Olympics got off to an embarrassing start during preliminary between North Korea and Colombia in group G when North Korea's women footballers refused to play after a mix-up over their national flag.
North Korea's opener against Colombia was held up after their players were pictured next to South Korea's flag on the introduction screen. The furious North Koreans requested apologies, and only decided to participate in the games after they received a statement from the International Olympics Committee promising that this mistake would not repeat.
South Korea, North Korea, even I get mixed up between the two. One's a free democratic society that makes Sumsung and Hyndai, and the other is a brutal cult-like dictatorship that can't feed its own people. However, this is an international sporting event. And not just any sporting event. It's the Olympics for heaven's sake! If this kind of mistake happens at the Olympics, there must be a problem. Maybe this is not just an innocent mistake, but a mistake that reflects that North Korea's existence in the international society is diminishing. Or just maybe, it may reflect the world's hope for unification of the two Koreas at the symbol of peace, Olympic games.
Whatever the case, if North Korea wishes to regain its presence in the international society, it must give up the 3 generation dictatorship, and adopt open-door policies.
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