Map of 2018 Olympic venues could start a war between South Korea and Japan

There’s a pre-Olympic boxing match going on in the Far East, and it’s got nothing to do with fortune cookies, General Tso or his chicken.  

For decades Japan and South Koria have been up in arm’s over a pair of islands (Dokdo and Shimane), mainly just big volcanic rocks that lay between the two countries and it’s this spat that’s taken a front seat to the planning of the 2018 winter games.

Japan has claimed ownership of the islands since Christ was an alter boy, but as of 1940, the South Koreans have legally held control. 

This week, South Koria struck a nerve when they put up a map outlying venues for the 2018 games on the event’s official website. This map  clearly had one of the islands in question labeled – reinforcing their ownership and simultaneously pissing off the Japanese:

If including Dokdo didn’t make a big enough statement, the South Koreans offered this description of the island on the same site:

“Dokdo holds a special place in the hearts of Koreans as they hold pride in defending Korea’s easternmost reached territory.”

According to reports, Japanese officials demanded that the map be altered because it violated the International Olympic Committee’s rule against any “demonstration of political, religious, or racial propaganda at any Olympic sites, venues, or other areas.” 

“It is unacceptable in light of our country’s stance over the sovereignty of Takeshima and over the naming of the Sea of Japan,” Japan’s Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida told the Associated Press. “It goes against the Olympic Charter which calls for mutual understanding and opposes the political use of sports.”

President Lee Hee-beom, president of thePyeongChang Olympic Committee, responded in a statement to The Korea Times“What they are asking is preposterous and not worth a response.” He doubled down, “Dokdo belongs to Korea. And we haven’t even received any official request from the Japanese Foreign Ministry.”

At least there haven’t been any reports of body parts floating up on the beaches like we saw this summer in Rio.  

[Deadspin]