¡®Could anyone send us some more flags?¡¯

In Sydney where the Olympic fever has reached a peak, flags of various nations sweep through the streets.

On any given street, there are many who wear hats made out of flags or people who dress themselves with their flags. It is not difficult to meet tourists from various nations wearing their flags in various manners. Japanese fans with the rising sun on the backs or with headbands of the rising sun is a familiar sight on the streets.

However, it is difficult to meet people carrying the Korea flag on the streets of Sydney. The reason is because the Korean flag is difficult to find.

A Korean young man who came to Sydney on a "working holiday" program (work during the week and travel on weekends) went to the Korean Embassy with his friends to get some Korean flags. However, they were informed that the embassy does not hand out flags to individuals. The young man then went around the Korean stores to purchase one, but he could not find any store that sold flags.

Kim Ju-Jung, who came to Sydney as a member of the cheering squad, received a request by a Korean-Australian who asked him if he could distribute some Korean flags because they did not have ample supply of them.

Lack of Korean flags also plagues the Korea-Australian Olympic Supporters Association, which oversees the cheering efforts of the Korean-Australians. The 9,000 Korean flags and the 1,500 flags of the peninsula, which were donated by the Korea Sports Council, were distributed in the first five days.

The support committee quickly enlisted the help of a Korean securities firm and received about 500 Korean and peninsula flags on Tuesday morning. However, they are worried because that supply might not last long. Although they had made requests for more flags with the Korea Sports Council, there has not been a confirmation of assistance.

The Korean Embassy in Sydney only became aware of the lack of Korean flags after receiving a call from this reporter and said it would lend a helping hand.

"It is too bad that with ten days of the Games left, we are short of the Korean flags, which are our faces," the vice president of the support committee said. "Please let Korea know about this terrible situation."