Will the Rising Sun Flag be displayed on Liberation Day too... Pastor involved in the March 1st 'Rising Sun Flag controversy' closely watched in Sejong City

Sejong City Closely Monitoring the Apartment Complex

Last March 1st, when the display of the Rising Sun Flag caused an uproar in the local community of Sejong City, the city was on high alert for Liberation Day, but there was no disturbance. The Taegeukgi fluttered at homes and major government offices.

According to An Shin-il, a Sejong City council member (Hansol-dong), on Liberation Day, the Taegeukgi peacefully waved at the Hansol-dong Cheotmaeul apartment where Pastor Lee Jung-woo, who had displayed the Rising Sun Flag on March 1st, resides.

An apartment complex in Sejong City displaying the Rising Sun flag on the recent March 1st Movement Day. [Photo by Yonhap News]

Pastor Lee caused a commotion by displaying the Rising Sun Flag on March 1st. News of the flag being raised stirred not only the apartment community but the entire local society, and major media outlets reported on it. At that time, the management office staff, public officials, and police demanded the removal of the Rising Sun Flag, but he refused, saying, "It's a private matter, so do not interfere."

Sejong City investigated the circumstances but had no grounds to forcibly remove the flag, so they repeatedly requested voluntary removal and waited, and Pastor Lee took down the Rising Sun Flag around 4 p.m.

In an interview with JTBC at the time, he stated, “(President Yoon’s March 1st commemorative speech) revealed that Japan is a country in a cooperative relationship, so I hope this can be seen as a symbol expressing a supportive stance.”

The Taegeukgi flag is hung along the streets of Eunpyeong Hanok Village in Seoul. To commemorate Liberation Day, Eunpyeong-gu in Seoul displayed the 'Jingwansa Taegeukgi,' a Taegeukgi flag discovered during the restoration of Jingwansa Temple in 2009 that was used in the independence movement, alongside regular Taegeukgi flags on major roads in the district. Photo by Younghan Heo younghan@

President Yoon Suk-yeol said at the 104th March 1st Anniversary Ceremony, “A century after the March 1st Movement, Japan has transformed from a past militaristic aggressor to a cooperative partner sharing universal values with us and collaborating on security, economy, and global agendas.”

On the 7th of the same month, Pastor Lee also attended a rally demanding the removal of the Statue of Peace held at Sejong Lake Park, where he waved the Rising Sun Flag, provoking public outrage.

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