Japan and South Korea remained at odds during bilateral ministerial talks over the weekend over Seoul’s call for Tokyo not to fly the Rising Sun flag, whic
SINGAPORE – Japan and South Korea remained at odds during bilateral ministerial talks over the weekend over Seoul’s call for Tokyo not to fly the Rising Sun flag, which was also used during World War II, at a naval review held in South Korean waters earlier this month.
“It is extremely unfortunate that Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force had to cancel its participation due to the unacceptable (request),” Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told his South Korean counterpart, Jeong Kyeong Doo, at the outset of a meeting Saturday in Singapore that was open to the media.
In response, Jeong said it was “regrettable” that Japanese ships could not take part in the international naval event held off South Korea’s southern Jeju Island.
In August, South Korea told Japan and other countries that during the review, their naval ships should only fly their national flag and that of South Korea.
Japan withdrew because of that request, saying its vessels are required by domestic law to fly the Rising Sun flag. It also noted that the flag has long been recognized under international law as indicating that a vessel is Japanese.
