South Korean soccer officials have sought to defuse a potential political row with Japanese counterparts after a Korean player displayed a political message at the London Olympics. Park Jong-woo held up a sign referring to a territorial dispute between the countries after South Korea had beaten Japan 2-0 in last Friday's bronze medal match. The JFA told Reuters on Tuesday a letter had arrived, but the Korea Football Association (KFA) denied reports any apology had been made. A statement from the KFA called Park's headline-grabbing stunt "an impulsive incident that had no political intention or premeditation." The placard - which read "Dokdo is ours" - helped inflame fresh controversy after a surprise visit by South KoreanPresident Lee Myung-bak to the islands, known in Japan as Takeshima, last week. The KFA said the document sent to JFA chief Kuniya Daini expressed "hope the two sides will be able to work together to prevent similar incidents in the future." Park was banned from Saturday's medal ceremony at Wembley, and his name was not announced over the public address system. Soccer's governing body FIFA have also opened disciplinary proceedings against the player. Japan said on Saturday it will take the territorial dispute to the International Court of Justice following President Lee's visit. The disputed islands, controlled by South Korea but also claimed by Japan, lie equidistant from the two countries and are believed to contain frozen natural gas deposits potentially worth billions of dollars. (For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at@AO Sportsand on Facebook atAhramOnlineSports)
