"No Matter How Much Freedom of Expression..." Man Spotted with Rising Sun Flag Tattoo at Starfield

Past Controversies Over 'Rising Sun Flag Mercedes-Benz'
No Relevant Laws... Sanctions Difficult to Enforce

There was public outrage after reports emerged of a man, presumed to be Korean, walking around a large shopping mall in Suwon with a Rising Sun flag tattoo.

Online Community Screenshot

Recently, a post titled “I can't believe there are still people like this in Korea” was uploaded to an online community, accompanied by a photo.

The released photo shows a man in shorts on a moving walkway, sporting a large Rising Sun flag tattoo on his left calf. The Rising Sun flag is a symbol associated with Japanese militarism and imperialism.

The poster wrote, “I saw him while shopping at Starfield Suwon,” adding, “I wondered, ‘What is that?’ and saw it boldly displayed on his calf.” The poster also commented, “Rather than exposing such a tattoo openly, shouldn’t he at least wear long pants to cover it up?”

As the post spread, online users criticized the man, saying, “No matter how much freedom of expression there is, shouldn’t there at least be a sense of historical awareness and decency?” “It’s astonishing that someone would walk around so confidently in Korea like that,” “It’s like having a Nazi flag tattoo and walking around in Poland or France,” and “I really hope he’s not Korean.”

A Mercedes-Benz vehicle with a Rising Sun flag attached, spotted around Bukbyeon Intersection in Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province. BobaeDream

The controversy over the Rising Sun flag is not new. In Gimpo City, Gyeonggi Province, a Mercedes-Benz with a Rising Sun flag attached was previously spotted on the road, sparking debate. While it is unclear if it was the same vehicle, as the license plate could not be identified, the car was the same color and model as a Mercedes-Benz with a Rising Sun flag seen earlier on a road in Daegu.

The photo posted in the online community was taken at Bukbyeon Intersection in Gamjeong-dong, Gimpo City. The informant said, “I never thought I’d see something like this in real life, only on the news. At first, I thought I was mistaken, but when I checked up close, I couldn’t believe my eyes. It's so regrettable that things like this still happen.”

Last year, there were also reports of vehicles with Rising Sun flags in Seo-gu, Incheon, and a resident of an apartment complex in Suyeong-gu, Busan, hung a large Rising Sun flag on their balcony on Memorial Day, causing public outrage. While some online users insist that legal action should be taken to restrict the use of the Rising Sun flag, which symbolizes Japanese militarism, in Korea, no related laws have been enacted so far.

Some local governments have established ordinances restricting the public use of Japanese imperialist symbols, but these do not apply to private vehicles or personal property, making it difficult to impose effective sanctions.

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