Choi Myung-Jin came third behind teammates Sun Jung Kyun and Shing Chang-Moos in the equestrian individual dressage final, but fell victim to new rules stopping one country winning all the medals. South Korea have already lost two other bronze medals in tenpin bowling and archery because of the same rule.

Following several heated meetings, the organisers ruled that Japan'S Toshihide Takechi, who came fourth, should get the bronze.

But the medal had already been presented to Choi, and the South Korean camp refused to hand it back.

A South Korean equestrian official said: ``We are not going to return the bronze medal. We have had full consultations with officials of the International Equestrian Federation on this issue.''

The South Koreans have protested that the rule should not apply to the equestrian event.

Yesterday Lee Mi-Jeongof South Korea came third in the women's archery but lost the bronze medal to China's Lin Sang, who she had beaten in a play-off, because South Koreans took the top two places.

Last week, Chia Mi-Jung came third in the women's tenpin bowling -- behind two other South Koreans -- but also lost the medal, which went to fourth placed Yap Mun-Yee of Malaysia.