Park waved a banner saying "Dokdo is our territory" referring to a territorial dispute between South Korea and Japan while celebrating his team's 2-0 win over their fierce rivals in the Olympic bronze medal match at Wembley Stadium in August.

As a result, his medal was withheld as political protests are banned under the Olympic Charter.

Park received special coaching from his legal team in Busan before leaving to travel to Switzerland for his appearance at the Palace Hotel in Lausanne on Monday (February 11).

He will be accompanied by a delegation from the Korean Olympic Committee that will be headed by its President, Park Yong-sung.


"I'd be lying if I said I had not been stressed out in the past six months," the footballer told the Yonhap news agency in Seoul. 

"But I've gotten better thanks to support from everyone.

"I believe that positive thinking will lead to a positive result.

"I am trying to stay optimistic."

In December football's world governing body, FIFA, banned Park for two games and fined him 3,500 Swiss francs (£2,400/$3,800/€2,900), a relatively lenient punishment. 

He hopes that the IOC will also forgive him for his actions at Wembley, which he has always insisted was not planned and was a spontaneous gesture after a South Korean supporter threw the sign onto the pitch.

"I will try to express my honest feelings," Park said. 

"I believe truth will always work."

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