Rising Sun Flag at World Cup Draws Attention from US and UK: "Major Step Toward Global Discussion"

Professor Seokyeong Deok: "Sent protest emails to FIFA"

"Will continue efforts to raise global awareness to eradicate the Rising Sun flag"

Controversy is expected to grow over the display of the "Rising Sun flag" during Japan's matches at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. The Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) prohibits symbols with military or political associations, and claims that the Rising Sun flag may violate these rules have been reported by major international media outlets.

Professor Seokyeong Deok of Sungshin Women's University stated on his social media account on the 21st, "One significant outcome is that the history of Japan's Rising Sun flag, appearing during the North and Central America World Cup, has become a global topic through foreign media." He added, "Many international news outlets, including CNN in the United States, Germany's public broadcaster DW, and the UK's SportsBible, reported on the issue, which helped widely inform Western audiences about the problems associated with the Rising Sun flag."

The Rising Sun flag being used in cheers at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup match. Screenshot from Seokyeongdeok's Facebook.

The Rising Sun flag was seen during Japan's first group stage match at this World Cup. In the second match, the flag was unfurled inside the stadium, sparking controversy from some quarters.

Previously, Professor Seo sent a protest email to FIFA regarding this controversy; however, FIFA has reportedly not made any official statement so far. FIFA strictly prohibits the use of flags carrying discriminatory, political, or military messages during World Cup matches.

International media in the English-speaking world, such as CNN and SportsBible, also highlighted the Rising Sun flag controversy. CNN reported, "FIFA restricts political, discriminatory, and military images, but has not issued an official stance on the Rising Sun flag," while SportsBible described the flag as "seen as a symbol of Japan’s wartime aggression and colonial rule," providing background on the issue.

Professor Seo emphasized, "I have sent two protest emails to raise awareness about Japan’s use of the Rising Sun flag in cheering, but have not received any response," also stating, "I will continue efforts to bring public attention to eradicate the use of the Rising Sun flag at international sporting events like the World Cup and the Olympics."

Meanwhile, according to Professor Seo, related articles have also been featured on Japanese portal sites such as Yahoo Japan. However, it was reported that some local internet users sent direct messages (DMs) to Professor Seo to protest, insisting that "there is no problem with using the Rising Sun flag for cheering."

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