S.Korea separates athlete meals over radiation fear
At a hotel in Tokyo, chefs are busy preparing food for South Korea's Olympic team completely separate from the cafeteria in the Olympic village that they'd normally eat at.
Why the separation?
It's not just COVID fears, but worries the food would be contaminated with radiation, according to the team's nutritionist, in what's turned into the latest saga in the long history of distrust between South Korea and Japan.
An entire hotel has been rented for the endeavour and three meals a day are delivered directly to the athletes.
Inside the kitchen there are manuals for sourcing and screening food - including use of radiation equipment.
The manuals state that seafood, vegetables and fruits from eight prefectures are banned, including Fukushima - the site of the 2011 earthquake and nuclear disaster.
Han Jung-sook has been the nutritionist for South Korea's Olympians for 35 years.
"We have put more effort in this time because of the coronavirus concern and because people are quite sensitive over the origin of ingredients such as those from Fukushima. Additionally, the weather here is very hot and humid and we have to be extra careful of hygiene to prevent food poisoning incidents."
South Korea's decision to have an independent food program has prompted criticism on social media in Japan and among politicians.
The country has previously irked Japan by curbing imports of Japanese seafood, citing safety concerns about Fukushima.
South Korean athletes have welcomed the boxed meals.
And although there may be little sign of relations easing between South Korea and Japan, athletes from both countries are not feeling the heat, at least over food.
A Japanese Olympian Reuters spoke with said the South Koreans have been friendly and even share their lunch with him, and that the problem has nothing to do with sports.
It is not uncommon for countries to bring their own chefs to the Olympics, either.
The United States served its own food at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
