South Korean media: Japanese fans have not properly learned their aggressive history
According to a report by South Korea's JoongAng Daily (Japanese edition) on June 18, a large number of Japanese people online have protested against Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea, due to his criticism of Japanese football fans waving the Rising Sun Flag—symbolizing militarism—during the World Cup to support Japan. Some even claimed: "We must protest to FIFA regarding the ban on the use of the Rising Sun Flag inside stadiums."
On the 17th, Professor Seo posted on social media stating: "The requirement to prohibit the use of the Rising Sun Flag at the World Cup has become a major issue in Japan."
Recently, Professor Seo criticized the behavior of Japanese fans, saying: "FIFA bans waving the Rising Sun Flag inside stadiums, yet Japanese fans bring it into the streets—this is extremely foolish."
Professor Seo's remarks sparked widespread outrage in Japanese public opinion.
In comments on related news articles from Yahoo Japan, statements such as "The Japan Football Association should protest to FIFA—the restriction on the use of the Rising Sun Flag is discriminatory" and "Let’s settle this at the International Court" appeared frequently.
Professor Seo’s own social media accounts were inundated with protest messages.
In response, Professor Seo said: "This fully demonstrates that Japanese netizens have not properly learned history and do not understand the aggressive actions associated with the Rising Sun Flag." He added: "Regardless, using the Rising Sun Flag is inappropriate."
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1868295310576843/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.