'Ukilgi Vehicle' Sightings Continue
This Time, Controversy Over 'Illegal Parking'
"Sticker Removed, Then Police Reported"
Recently, there have been multiple reports of vehicles displaying the Rising Sun Flag, and now a story has emerged that the owner of such a vehicle reported a citizen to the police for removing the Rising Sun Flag sticker.
A vehicle with a Rising Sun flag illegally parked at the apartment recycling station. Photo by BobaeDream Instagram
On the 18th, a post appeared on the social networking service (SNS) Bobaedream Instagram, featuring a photo of a Mercedes-Benz with the Rising Sun Flag and stating, "The female owner reported to the police the person who tore off the (Rising Sun Flag) sticker on her car," adding, "This vehicle is always illegally parked on a road used by recycling collection trucks, causing great inconvenience to the apartment residents."
In the photo, eleven Rising Sun Flags can be seen plastered on the vehicle’s windows and sides. The Rising Sun Flag was used as a military flag by Japan during World War II and symbolizes Japanese militarism. It became especially controversial as it was prominently displayed by the army and navy during Japan’s invasions of various Asian countries in the Pacific War. Although Japan ceased using the Rising Sun Flag after its defeat in 1945, it was reinstated in 1954 as the military flag for the Ground Self-Defense Force (Self-Defense Force flag) and the Maritime Self-Defense Force (Self-Defense Ship flag).
'Rising Sun Flag Mercedes-Benz' found near Jukam Rest Area in the Daejeon direction. [Photo by BobaeDream]
The vehicle was first spotted on a highway on May 27. Witness A said, "The Rising Sun Flag was attached not only to the rear window but also the front window," and asked, "As a Korean, I could not tolerate it. Is there a way to report this?" This sighting quickly spread on SNS and online communities, with netizens criticizing the vehicle, calling it the "Rising Sun Flag Mercedes," and responding with comments such as "It proves ignorance," "I hope they live in Japan," and "Shouldn’t there be serious punishment?"
However, the Rising Sun Flag Mercedes did not remove the stickers and instead drove more boldly on the roads. In June, at an apartment complex in Seo-gu, Incheon, the vehicle’s illegal parking blocked the entry of recycling collection trucks, causing inconvenience to residents. On the 9th, near Jukam Rest Area heading toward Daejeon, citizen B saw the Rising Sun Flag Mercedes and shouted insults and made obscene gestures. In retaliation, the vehicle owner engaged in aggressive driving. B lamented, "I was cursing to get them to remove the Rising Sun Flag, but I never expected to face retaliatory driving," and said, "How can someone behave like that and roam around in the Republic of Korea?"
Currently, there are no clear official laws penalizing the use of the Rising Sun Flag. Moon Jin-seok, a member of the Democratic Party representing Cheonan Gap in Chungnam, introduced a bill on the 21st of last month to punish those who use or wear the Rising Sun Flag, a symbol of Japanese imperialism, called the Rising Sun Flag Usage Punishment Act (Partial Amendment to the Criminal Act).
According to the amendment, anyone who manufactures, distributes, uses, or wears clothing or items containing the Rising Sun Flag domestically, or displays it in crowded public places, may face imprisonment of up to two years or a fine of up to 5 million won. Representative Moon emphasized, "We cannot tolerate the use of the Rising Sun Flag, a symbol of Japanese imperialism, on the territory of the Republic of Korea, which was achieved through the sacrifices of our patriotic ancestors," and added, "We will strictly punish the use of the Rising Sun Flag to set history right."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
