Professor sends second protest letter to FIFA over rising sun flag at World Cup

[Provided by Seo Gyeong-deok, Sungshin Women's University]

FIFA's silence over Japanese fans displaying the rising sun flag — a symbol of Japanese imperialism — at the 2026 North America World Cup stirs controversy.

Seo Gyeong-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, said Friday on his social media that he had sent a first protest email to FIFA on June 23 over Japanese supporters unfurling the rising sun flag during Japan's group-stage match against Tunisia, but that FIFA had yet to issue a clear response. He said he sent a second protest email on Friday as a result.

In the second email, Seo cited FIFA's own stated policy, which explicitly prohibits bringing into stadiums "any item of a political, offensive or discriminatory nature, including flags, banners, slogans and clothing," ahead of this World Cup.

A Japanese fan holds a rising sun flag on a street in Shibuya, Tokyo, on June 15, as Japan played the Netherlands in their opening 2026 North America World Cup group-stage match. [AFP]

Before the tournament, FIFA took firm action against Haiti's national team, ordering a redesign of its uniform after determining that a depiction of the Battle of Vertières — the decisive engagement that secured Haiti's independence from France — constituted a political element.

Seo raised that case with FIFA and asked why the governing body had not taken a position on Japanese fans' use of the rising sun flag. He said FIFA's inaction amounted to "an act that undermines the very standards FIFA itself set."

He said he also informed FIFA that major international media outlets had flagged the problem with the rising sun flag display, and urged the body to "quickly announce its position banning the rising sun flag at the World Cup."

Seo added that he would "do his best to ensure the rising sun flag no longer appears at the World Cup or any other international sporting event."

After sending his first protest letter to FIFA, Seo said some online users sent him messages containing images that superimposed the rising sun flag onto South Korea's Taegukgi national flag.

He called the act "truly foolish behavior that fails to honestly acknowledge history," adding: "They could just attack me, but they keep sending my DMs images of the rising sun flag merged with our Taegukgi. Does doing this hide or change the history of the rising sun flag?"

Seo warned that the attacks only showed how much his campaign unsettled those behind them. "Keep attacking," he said. "I will turn this against you and make the history of the rising sun flag even better known around the world."

ygmoon@heraldcorp.com