The Story Behind Yongsan-gu Official Removing Rising Sun Flag at Vietnamese Japanese Restaurant?

Rising Sun Flag Sign Confirmed at a Vietnamese Japanese Restaurant... Manager, Interior Contractor, and Owner Raise Issue; Signboard Replaced in 5 Days with Costs Covered Directly

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] A local government official has attracted attention by removing a war crime flag (Rising Sun Flag) signboard installed at a Japanese restaurant in Vietnam.

The protagonist is Yoon Seong-bae (49), Director of the Yongsan International Exchange Office (photo). He is a public official overseeing the international cooperation project between Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Chang-hyun) and Quy Nhon City (Mayor Ngo Hoang Nam) in Binh Dinh Province, central Vietnam.

On the 1st, Director Yoon visited a Japanese specialty restaurant that had just opened in Quy Nhon City. However, there was a problem. A signboard resembling the Rising Sun Flag was installed above the entrance (photo). Director Yoon immediately approached the restaurant manager and suggested, “The signboard design resembles the war crime flag symbolizing Japanese imperialism, so it would be better to change the design.”

The manager responded, “I agree with your point,” but added, “However, the exterior contractor carried out the work, and I do not have the authority to change the design.”

Director Yoon also contacted the contractor directly. However, the contractor refused to replace it, saying, “We just found a Japanese-style design on the internet that caught our eye and worked on it,” and “There is no law in Vietnam prohibiting this.”

Ultimately, Director Yoon decided to seek help from locals. He posted a photo of the signboard on his SNS (Facebook) to publicize the issue. The response was immediate.

In particular, students of the international exchange office ‘Quy Nhon Sejong Institute’ operated by Director Yoon all called the restaurant to protest.

The next day, Director Yoon visited the restaurant again to meet the owner and persuade him directly. However, the owner argued, “According to Vietnamese etiquette, interfering in someone else’s business is more problematic,” and “Because you posted on Facebook and damaged the restaurant’s image, you should compensate us.”

Director Yoon did not back down. He persuaded the owner again, saying he would delete the post and pay the costs himself if the signboard was changed. Eventually, the owner changed his mind. The new signboard installed three days later removed the problematic rising sun rays, and diagonal lines were arranged at a 45-degree angle.

Director Yoon took a photo of the changed signboard and posted it again on Facebook, leaving a brief comment: “Thank you for making a wise decision,” and “I believe this will become the most famous restaurant in Quy Nhon.”

A district official said, “After the signboard was replaced, the restaurant owner and the contractor expressed gratitude to Director Yoon for informing them of facts they were unaware of,” and “Although there was an argument at first, it has now been resolved well.”

Quy Nhon City in Vietnam is a rising international tourist city. Thanks to its connection with Seoul’s Yongsan-gu, it has become a pro-Korean city representing Vietnam. The Taegeukgi flag flies 365 days a year at Quy Nhon City Hall, and at Quy Nhon Phu Cat Airport, where direct flights were established earlier this year, a Korean banner reads, “Welcome to Quy Nhon, the sister city of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Republic of Korea.”

Before and after images of the Vietnamese Japanese restaurant's Rising Sun flag sign replacement

Quy Nhon was the site where the Maengho Unit, established in Yongsan during the Vietnam War in 1965, was stationed. However, after the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and Vietnam in 1992, veterans proposed intercity friendship exchanges, and in 1996, Seong Chang-hyun, then a Yongsan-gu council member, visited Quy Nhon as a representative. Since then, various exchanges have taken place, and through this, Mayor Seong received the Friendship Medal from the Vietnamese President in 2018.

The Yongsan International Exchange Office led by Director Yoon has been overseeing local projects such as Korean language classes (Quy Nhon Sejong Institute), building houses of love, kindergarten construction, and cataract treatment support since its opening in 2016. Last year, it also supported the ‘Binh Dinh Province Investment Briefing’ for Korean companies behind the scenes.

Seong Chang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “The replacement of the war crime flag signboard will be recorded as a great achievement in the history of city diplomacy,” and “The district and public officials will do their best to set history right.”