|
Advertisers have digitally erased the image of a unified Korean Peninsula painted in blue on the uniform of football star Park Ji-sung, which makes a brief appearance in a beer commercial. The commercial for Hite beer started being shown on the terrestrial airwaves at the end of last month. Asking what it would be like if Korea won the World Cup, the commercial, which was filmed in England, shows Park next to FIFA officials and other players kissing the trophy. But the fact that the players all sport the blue unification flag on their chest has incensed some in Korea¡¯s vociferous online community.
Some conservative groups even staged a campaign to boycott the beer, saying the players should rightly sport the Taegukgi or South Korean flag. Hite bowed to the pressure and announced Tuesday it will digitally erase the flags. But the company says the attack is unfair. ¡°We were simply not permitted to use the Korean Football Association's official emblem and the Taegukgi symbolizing the Korean national team because we are not official sponsors of the World Cup,¡± a Hite spokesman explained.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
|
