[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The Japanese government claimed that the display of the Rising Sun Flag used by the Japanese military during the Pacific War does not constitute political propaganda.
Katsunobu Kato, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, said at a regular press conference on the morning of the 18th, in response to a question regarding a bill introduced by a ruling party lawmaker in South Korea that would impose up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 200 million won for using the Rising Sun Flag, "Since this is a move by another country's legislature, we will refrain from commenting."
Kato stated, "However, regarding the Rising Sun Flag, its design, like the Hinomaru (the Japanese national flag), is based on the sun and has been widely used domestically in Japan as a fishing flag, birth celebration flag, and holiday celebration flag. Therefore, the criticism that it represents a specific political or discriminatory claim is not appropriate."
He added, "The government has repeatedly explained to the international community, including South Korea, that the display of such Rising Sun Flags does not constitute political propaganda, and we intend to continue providing such explanations."
The Rising Sun Flag pattern, featuring rays extending in all directions from the sun at the center, has been used in Japan for a long time and continues to be used today.
The Asahi Shimbun, one of Japan's leading progressive media outlets known for strongly criticizing domestic historical revisionism, also uses the Rising Sun pattern as its logo.
However, since the Rising Sun Flag was used as the military flag of the Japanese army that caused immense suffering and damage to neighboring countries during the Pacific War, and is still used in anti-Korean demonstrations by Japanese far-right groups, there are criticisms that the Japanese government's claim that the use of the Rising Sun Flag does not constitute political propaganda is unreasonable.
Meanwhile, on the 14th, Kim Yong-min, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea, introduced a bill titled the "Historical Distortion Prevention Act," which would impose up to 10 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 200 million won for distorting the spirit of the March 1st Movement or praising Japanese imperialism.
The bill prohibits acts that distort facts about the March 1st Movement, praise or glorify Japanese imperialism, and the use of military flags or symbols such as the Rising Sun Flag.
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