ZURICH, Dec 3: A South Korea footballer who raised political tensions with Japan by displaying a political sign at the London Olympics after the countries´ bronze-medal match was banned for two World Cup qualifying matches on Monday.
FIFA said Park Jong-woo was guilty of unsporting behavior which "cannot be tolerated," and formally warned the Korea Football Association.
The International Olympic Committee can now decide if Park will get his medal which has been withheld since the Aug. 10 incident.
FIFA and the IOC prohibit on-field political statements.
After South Korea beat Japan 2-0 at Cardiff, Park displayed a sign in national colors with the slogan "Dokdo is our territory" to support sovereignty over islets which Japan also claims in a decades-old dispute.
In defending Park, Korean officials argued that he simply picked up the banner which was thrown from the stands.
FIFA said its disciplinary panel "took into account that the behavior of the player, even though it appears not to have been premeditated or intentional, contradicts the principal idea and goal of sportsmanship and fair play, and therefore, cannot be tolerated."
Weeks after the controversy, the 23-year-old midfielder was called into the senior national team for 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Park will serve his suspension when South Korea plays at home to Qatar on March 26 and away to Lebanon on June 4.
FIFA rules prevent him appealing this sanction.
FIFA also reminded the Korean football association "of its obligation to properly instruct its players" about competition rules.
"The Korea Football Association was warned that should incidents of such nature occur again in the future, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee may impose harsher sanctions," the governing body said.
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