South Korea stated that after the International Olympic Committee ruled that it was provocative, South Korea had removed banners referring to the 16th-century Korean-Japanese War.

The South Korean Olympic Committee said on Saturday that after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) ruled that it was provocative, it had removed the slogans of the Tokyo Olympic Athletes Village, which mentioned the 16th-century war between Korea and Japan.

When the South Koreans agreed to remove the banners, they said they had received a promise from the International Olympic Committee that they would ban the display of the Japanese “sun” flag in stadiums and other Olympic venues. This flag depicts a 16-ray red sun extending outwards. It was dissatisfied by many people in Korea and other parts of Asia, who regarded it as a symbol of Japan’s wartime history.

South Korean banners that caused protests by some ultra-right groups in Japan were hung on the balcony of the Korean athlete’s room and spelled a message together: “I still have the support of 50 million Koreans.”

This borrowed from the famous words of the 16th-century South Korean admiral Yi Sun-sin. According to historical legends, he said to King Sunjo of the Korean Kingdom: “I have 12 warships left” before he achieved a crucial victory over the greater Japan. Fleet during the Japanese invasion of Korea in 1592-1598.

The Korean Olympic Committee stated that the International Olympic Committee told them that these banners used images of war and violated Article 50 of the Olympic Charter, which stipulates that “no demonstrations of any kind are allowed in any Olympic venues or venues. Or political, religious or racial propaganda”. Or other fields”.

The committee said that after the International Olympic Committee promised to apply the same rules to the rising sun flags and ban them at all Olympic venues, it agreed to remove the banners.

“According to the agreement, the organizing committee will no longer propose any debate that allows athletes to concentrate on the game, and the International Olympic Committee will ban the display of the rising sun flag at all Olympic venues to avoid political problems,” the South Korean said. The committee said in a statement.

South Korea officially requested the International Olympic Committee for the first time in 2019 to ban the use of the rising sun flag in the Olympics, comparing it to the swastika. South Korean Olympic officials later stated that the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee rejected their request to ban the use of this flag, saying that this flag is widely used in Japan and is not considered a political statement.

Many South Koreans are still hostile to Japan’s colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945. In recent years, the relationship between the two countries has fallen to a post-war low due to disputes over history, trade, and military cooperation.??

Since the inauguration of US President Joe Biden, the two countries have been working hard to improve relations. He called for strengthening tripartite cooperation with traditional US allies in the face of the North Korean nuclear threat and the challenges posed by China. But progress is slow.

South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Japanese ambassador Sang Bao Hoichi on Saturday to protest the remarks of another senior Japanese diplomat. According to the local broadcaster, the diplomat used obscene language to mock South Korean President Moon Jae-in’s efforts to improve bilateral relations during a meeting with reporters. Efforts made.

Various countries have been discussing the possibility of Moon Jae-in’s visit to Tokyo to participate in the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games, and held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on improving relations.