Seok Kyung-deok: "Will Report Again If Rising Sun Flag Cheers Appear at Asian Cup"

"Emphasis on 'Reporting to the Organizing Committee and FIFA'"

Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University warned that he would report to the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) if Rising Sun flag cheers appear at the 2023 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Qatar Asian Cup tournament.

In the 2015 Asian Cup held in Australia, photos of Japanese football fans cheering with Rising Sun flags were featured in the official guidebook and official SNS accounts (left). Also, in the 2019 tournament held in the United Arab Emirates, a famous cartoonist depicted the qualifying match between Japan and Turkmenistan on SNS, featuring the Rising Sun emblem (right). [Image source: Provided by Professor Seokyeong Deok's team at Sungshin Women's University]

On the opening day of the Asian Cup on the 12th, he posted on his social media, "If you witness Rising Sun flag cheers during the Asian Cup, please report it immediately," emphasizing, "We will report not only to the tournament organizing committee but also to FIFA to eradicate the use of the Rising Sun flag in international competitions."

He explained, "The Rising Sun flag has also been used by Japanese people to symbolize abundant catches (豊漁) or childbirth," but added, "It was the flag Japan prominently displayed when invading various Asian countries in the past, symbolizing Japanese militarism and imperialism." He pointed out, "If the Japanese cheering squad displays Rising Sun flag cheers again at the Asian Cup, it will be an inconsiderate act that reminds Asians of the horrors of war crimes committed by Japan in the past."

He went on to explain the controversy over the 2015 Asian Cup held in Australia, where photos of Japanese football fans cheering with the Rising Sun flag were featured in the official guidebook and official SNS accounts. He also mentioned the appearance of the Rising Sun flag pattern in a famous cartoon depicting the qualifying match between Japan and Turkmenistan at the 2019 tournament held in the United Arab Emirates. Professor Seo criticized this, saying, "The Rising Sun flag has always caused trouble."

He added, "In December last year, a promotional image introducing a Japanese club for the 'FIFA Club World Cup' held in Saudi Arabia used a Rising Sun flag background, but it was immediately deleted after protests," and reiterated, "At the 2022 Qatar World Cup, FIFA actively prevented the use of the Rising Sun flag by promptly stopping the Japanese cheering squad from displaying it."

Meanwhile, the South Korean national football team, led by Son Heung-min (Tottenham) and Hwang Hee-chan (Wolverhampton), is challenging to win the Asian Cup for the first time in 64 years.

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