<Anchor>
A Japanese ship participating in exercises organized by
our government has arrived in Busan. However, they wore a flag on their ship that was almost similar to the Rising Sun Flag, a symbol of Japanese militarism. The opposition took this as a problem and strongly criticized it, which the Ministry of Defense described as an international practice.

The details will be delivered by reporter Hua Kang-yun.

<Reporter>
The
Japan Sea Self-Defense Force frigate Hamagiri entered the Busan Naval Operating Base this morning (29th).

The day after tomorrow, to participate in a multinational maritime interdiction exercise organized by our Ministry of Defense.

The Hamagiri ship entering the port of Busan has a Japanese flag on the bow and a self-defense flag on the back of the ship.

The flag of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces is not different from the Rising Sun flag, which is pointed out as a symbol of Japanese militarism, although the position of the circle is slightly different.

In 1998, during President Kim Dae-jung's administration, there was a precedent for Japanese ships to enter the port with the flag of a self-defense ship, but in 2018, during the Moon Jae-in administration, Japan boycotted an international observation ceremony hosted by South Korea when it demanded that only the Japanese flag and the Taeguk flag be displayed.

It's such a sensitive issue.

Seo Kyung-deok, a professor at Sungshin Women's University, sent a protest e-mail to the navies of the participating countries, saying, "Japan is always carrying out senseless acts of reminding Asians of the horrors of war by using the rising sun flag," and the MDP criticized, "Is it not enough to give indulgences to Japan's colonial rule, and are they trying to turn a blind eye to Japan's militarism?"

However, the Ministry of National Defense has previously stated that it will not make the hoisting of the flag of the Self-Defense Forces of Japan a Japanese ship an issue because of international customs.

The drills are also scheduled to be followed by an inspection by Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup, and this is the first time that our defense minister will inspect a Self-Defense Force ship.

(Video Interview: Choi Jin-hyuk KNN, Video Editing: Park Ki-duk)