Controversy on RE100 Website Over 'Dokdo' Shown as Japanese Territory on Inverted Taegeukgi Flag

Seokyeongdeok "The National Flag is the Face of a Country... Must Be Corrected"

[Image source=RE100 official website]

A photo of the Taegeukgi flag displayed upside down has been posted on the official website of the global environmental campaign 'RE100,' sparking criticism.

Recently, RE100 introduced its 'Activities in Korea' on its official website, featuring a photo of the Taegeukgi flag hung upside down. RE100 is a global campaign in which companies pledge to switch 100% of their electricity use to renewable energy by 2050. It was launched in 2014 through a proposal by the multinational nonprofit organization 'The Climate Group' based in London, UK, and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP).

Professor Seokyung Deok of Sungshin Women's University stated on Facebook on the 27th, "I sent a protest email requesting correction because the use of an incorrect Taegeukgi on the official site of a globally recognized environmental campaign could cause misunderstandings." He added, "The national flag, which represents a country, must be correctly displayed wherever it is used, and now is the right time to properly promote the Taegeukgi as the Korean Wave is gaining worldwide attention."

Additionally, it was found that the map shown under the 'About Companies' section on the RE100 website depicted Dokdo as Japanese territory. The page allows users to check electricity consumption and renewable energy usage of each RE100 member country. On the attached map, RE100 labeled the East Sea as ‘East Sea-Sea of Japan,’ but marked Dokdo in green as if it were Japanese territory, while Ulleungdo was shown in white as Korean territory.

A fake flag combining the Rising Sun Flag and the Taegeukgi. [Image source=LCI YouTube]

Meanwhile, this is not the first time an incorrect Taegeukgi has been used. Previously, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) used a wrong Taegeukgi on the 2022 Qatar World Cup Asian qualifiers bracket, and the globally renowned theme park Legoland also faced controversy for using an incorrect Taegeukgi on souvenir T-shirts.

In particular, in January, the French news channel LCI sparked outrage by broadcasting a graphic that combined the Taegeukgi with the Rising Sun flag while reporting on North Korea. At that time, Professor Seo sent a protest email demanding an official apology for misrepresenting the national flag, saying, "Issue an official apology for incorrectly depicting the national flag, which represents a country," and urged, "Take measures to ensure viewers can correctly see the Republic of Korea’s Taegeukgi through a prompt correction report."