Ship with "Rising sun flag" in Busan port? … ROK Ministry of Defense “Normal international practice”

On the occasion of the multinational maritime drills of the high-level meeting of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) next week in Cheju (Jeju), South Korea, a Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force destroyer is expected to enter Busan (Busan) port flying a self-defence flag similar to the 'rising sun' flag, which has been criticised in South Korea as a symbol of militarism.

The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on May 25th that the governments of Japan and South Korea have begun coordination to have a Maritime Self-Defense Force escort ship flying the Self-Defense Force ensign enter the port of Busan.

In response, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense (MND) has not ruled out the possibility that Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyers may enter South Korean ports while flying the self-defense ensign.

A spokesman for the South Korean Ministry of National Defense said at a regular press conference on the day, "There is nothing I can say right now about whether they will come in with the self-defense ensign."

He continued, "The Ministry of National Defense will apply the same standards to all PSI member countries based on normal international practice and reciprocity. I understand that they will raise the national flag and the military flag of the country or the flag that symbolizes the institution. We know that this is a common term that is commonly used all over the world,"