Translation result
With the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America approaching, a video showing supporters displaying the Rising Sun flag has surfaced.
On May 26, Professor Seo Kyung-deok of Sungshin Women’s University said a Korean resident in Mexico — one of the World Cup hosts — alerted him to the clip. He said a Mexico-based YouTuber included footage of fans displaying the Rising Sun flag in a World Cup–related video.
The YouTube channel primarily posts soccer content. While introducing the 48 teams competing at the 2026 World Cup, the video repeatedly showed scenes of fans waving the Rising Sun flag.
Seo warned, “The clip has already exceeded 1.3 million views and topped 10,000 likes, so it’s spreading widely, which is troubling.”
He also pointed to the Qatar World Cup opening match, when a large downtown Doha billboard openly displayed images of Japanese supporters with the Rising Sun flag superimposed on their faces. “That happened because foreigners who don’t know the flag’s historical context mistakenly treat it as a symbol representing Japan,” he said.
Seo urged that responsibility shouldn’t rest only with the foreigners who made the video and ran the ads. “We must work harder to remove the Rising Sun flag, which for many Asians evokes the pain of wartime,” he said.
Meanwhile, the United States, Canada and Mexico will co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will feature a record 48 teams. South Korea’s national team opens its campaign against the Czech Republic on the 12th at 11 a.m. KST.
Most Commented