Newcastle Faces Backlash Over Rising Sun Flag in Kit Reveal Video
"We Did Not Intend This... We Apologize"
Newcastle United of the English Premier League (EPL), which is set to visit South Korea, has issued an apology after controversy arose over a scene reminiscent of the Rising Sun flag in a video unveiling the club's new season kit.
The Rising Sun flag pattern appearing in the Newcastle United video. Screenshot from Newcastle United video
On July 2 (Korean time), Newcastle announced on its official social media that "the video revealing the 2025-2026 season third kit unintentionally included a scene that could cause discomfort. We apologize," adding that the problematic scene has been deleted from the video.
In the unedited version of the video, two fans could be seen smiling brightly while holding a flag resembling the Rising Sun flag, which sparked controversy. The criticism was particularly strong among Korean fans, as Newcastle is scheduled to visit South Korea and Singapore later this month for its Asia pre-season tour.
The Rising Sun flag was used by Japan as a symbol of militarism and imperialism, most notably during its invasions of various Asian countries, including during the Pacific War.
Regarding Newcastle's apology, Professor Seo Kyungduk of Sungshin Women's University stated on his Facebook page on July 3, "I welcome Newcastle's swift action," and added, "This incident will serve as a good precedent for eliminating the use of the Rising Sun flag pattern in European football leagues in the future."
Professor Seo has consistently sent protest emails to all clubs whenever the Rising Sun flag has appeared in the four major European football leagues.
He also stated, "Above all, there have been many cases where the Rising Sun flag pattern was removed from the World Cup after protests to FIFA," and added, "I will do my best to ensure that the use of the Rising Sun flag in European football leagues is also eliminated in the future."
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