"Watching YouTube, Why the Rising Sun Flag..." Japan Adds Korean Subtitles, Controversy Over Rising Sun Flag Promotion

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Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rising Sun Flag promotional video. / YouTube capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Kang Juhee] A controversy has arisen as a Rising Sun Flag advertisement video produced by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs appeared in YouTube ads. The video introduces the Rising Sun Flag as "a part of Japanese culture widely used in people's daily lives," but omits the fact that it was used as a symbol of war crimes, drawing criticism that Japan's historical distortion continues.

Recently, many netizens posted on social networking services (SNS) expressing their astonishment after encountering a Rising Sun Flag promotional video explained in Korean while using YouTube. One netizen lamented, "Why do I have to see such an ad while watching YouTube videos in Korea?" and added, "Why should we watch a video where someone who sounds like a Japanese person 'justifies' the Rising Sun Flag in Korean?"

The video was uploaded in October last year on the official YouTube channel of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the title "The Rising Sun Flag as a Long-standing Japanese Culture." The approximately two-minute video features a man with a Japanese accent narrating in Korean about the Rising Sun Flag. Korean subtitles are also included in the video.

The video begins with the statement, "The Rising Sun Flag is part of Japanese culture and, like the national flag, symbolizes the sun." Then, the subtitle "The Rising Sun Flag, which has been regarded as familiar since ancient times" appears, explaining that "the Rising Sun Flag has been widely used, blending into people's daily lives," and "the culture that has lasted for hundreds of years continues even today." It also includes content stating that the flag is used to celebrate holidays, 60th birthdays, weddings, and to wish for abundant catches and business prosperity.

The Rising Sun flag is being promoted in sports as "used to boost morale and wish for victory." / YouTube capture

Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Rising Sun Flag promotional video. It included content stating that the Rising Sun flag pattern is widely used in many countries around the world, including being used in the logo of the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit. / YouTube capture

The video does not include any mention that the Rising Sun Flag is a symbol of Japanese imperialism and aggressive war. It also claims that flags or logos of other countries or regions with radiating lines are a type of Rising Sun Flag pattern simply because of their design. As examples, it cites the flags of the Republic of North Macedonia, the U.S. state of Arizona, and Lara State in Venezuela, explaining that "the Rising Sun Flag is accepted and used in various countries around the world." It also connects the spreading comb-like logos of the 2010 G20 Seoul Summit and the 2021 G20 Cannes Summit to the Rising Sun Flag.

The video was produced not only in Korean but also in English, Chinese, and a total of 10 languages. Furthermore, recently in Korea, this video has been exposed as an advertisement while watching YouTube. Citizens who saw this expressed anger. One netizen worried, "It seems that only biased information about the Rising Sun Flag will spread as the video claims."

However, there is currently no effective solution to stop the Rising Sun Flag ads on YouTube. While the Rising Sun Flag is considered a war crime symbol and taboo in countries victimized by Japanese colonial rule such as Korea, it is legally and widely used in Japan, making it difficult to legally block.

Experts emphasize the need for government-level responses to prevent Japan's historical distortion. Professor Seo Kyungdeok of Sungshin Women's University told Asia Economy in a phone interview, "I understand that it is not difficult to post ads on YouTube if you pay money. However, creating a Rising Sun Flag promotional video in Korean and advertising it in Korea is extremely absurd." He criticized, "Above all, the video tries to promote the legitimacy of the Rising Sun Flag but completely omits the fact that it was used during the war. Japan tries to tailor history to suit its own narrative."

He added, "If the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs is promoting this, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs should also protest and respond appropriately," and said, "We plan to produce a video that precisely points out what is wrong with Japan's video and refutes it."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.