Hi, I wanted to know if you, as a Korean, feel offended by the rising sun flag? I know you answer things having to do with Korean and experiences and I saw a Korean girl on Twitter attacked for saying not to use it and I was wondering what’s your opinion on it, if you need more context lmk
Ah yes, I do know the context behind this scenario, but since you haven’t brought it up, I’ll omit it as well, ahaha.
Yes, as a Korean person, I do feel offended by the rising sun flag, and I say this as someone who doesn’t feel strongly attached to Korean history, even! But to Korea and many other Asian countries, the rising sun flag is a symbol that deliberately caused great suffering and marks a period of extreme hardship and mourning. Seeing it used carelessly leaves a sour feeling in my chest.
At the same time, I am aware enough of how war propaganda / historical revisionism works to know that many people in Japan don’t fully comprehend the amount of harm that was done during Japan’s era of imperialism, or they don’t know of what the flag represents beyond Japanese pride.
I also know (as an American citizen that studied American curriculum) that people outside of Asia rarely ever learn about the atrocities committed by Japanese imperialists during that period of history, and so it may be difficult to grasp just how many emotions are tied up in something as simple as a flag / specific pattern that references that flag.
As such, I’m understanding of people who use the flag or the pattern without knowledge of the history or historical baggage it bears. The design can look aesthetically pleasing, I know. However, when someone takes the time to explain the context of its history and someone goes out of their way to be dismissive of that hurt/discomfort, I have nothing but disdain for them.
The fact of the matter is, unless one is making a historical work based on Japanese imperialism, there is no situation in which the rising sun motif is necessary to a design. It can be changed to equally aesthetic alternatives, ones that don’t burden the design with a history of suffering, and ones that don’t cause pain to people who may want to enjoy it.
Of course, these are just my personal opinions. Other Korean people may differ. However, I think it is important to note that, in my experience, my feelings on the matter are actually on the milder side of the spectrum.