▲ Articles and comments regarding the Rising Sun Flag on Yahoo Japan
A debate is unfolding online between South Korea and Japan over the use of the Rising Sun Flag for street cheering in Japanese cities during the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America.
Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, mentioned on social media today (June 17) that "since FIFA prohibits the use of the Rising Sun Flag inside stadiums, they have resorted to using it for street cheering," reiterating points he recently brought to public attention.
When the Rising Sun Flag appeared during street cheering in Japan for the Group F opening match between Japan and the Netherlands at the North and Central America World Cup, he pointed out that "using the Rising Sun Flag as a cheering tool is a wrongful act."
Following the report of these remarks, reactions on local Japanese portals such as Yahoo Japan were intense.
More than 1,500 comments were posted on related articles, and a comment stating that "the Japan Football Association should also protest to FIFA for restricting the use of the Rising Sun Flag" received over 10,000 "likes."
In addition, Japanese netizens continued to make defiant claims, such as "Let's settle this issue at the International Court of Justice (ICJ)," "The Japanese government should step in and sue Professor Seo," and "Only South Korea takes issue with this."
It was also reported that Professor Seo's personal social media account was flooded with direct message (DM) attacks from right-wing Japanese netizens.
On the other hand, South Korean netizens are voicing strong criticism regarding the street cheering with the Rising Sun Flag on Professor Seo's social media and domestic portals.
Professor Seo emphasized, "These reactions are absolute proof that Japanese netizens have not been properly educated on the history of the Rising Sun Flag," adding that "the use of the Rising Sun Flag cannot be justified."
He further added, "The Rising Sun Flag is a war flag that symbolizes militarism and imperialism, which Japan prominently displayed when it invaded various Asian countries, including during the Pacific War," and stated, "Through continuous public discourse in the international community, we will work to eliminate the incorrect use of the Rising Sun Flag around the world."
(Photo: Screenshot from Professor Seo Kyoung-duk's social media, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.