Chief of Maritime Self-Defense Force arrives at port with 'Rising Sun Flag'

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Ryo Sakai said on May 30th that a Japanese Self-Defense Forces escort ship had entered the South Korean port of Busan with the Rising Sun flag, saying, "According to the custom of dating, it was accepted (from South Korea). South Korea. "It's a big step in improving our relationship with the Navy."

According to Kyodo News on the 30th, Chief of the Maritime Self-Defense Force Sakai said at a press conference that day, "We need to build stronger cooperation with the South Korean Navy. It's important to keep building and building trust," he said.

The Self-Defense Forces escort ship Hamagiri arrived at the port of Busan the day before, flying the Self-Defense Force flag, a kind of Rising Sun flag, to participate in the multinational maritime interception exercise "Eastern Endeavor 23" hosted by South Korea on the 31st.

The self-defense flag is a kind of "rising sun flag" that has been pointed out in South Korea as "a symbol of Japanese militarism." The Self-Defense Forces ensign was adopted in 1954 by the Enforcement Order of the Self-Defense Forces Law. In accordance with this law, ships of the Self-Defense Forces are to fly the flag of the Self-Defense Forces together with the Japanese flag.

However, in November 2018, during the Moon Jae-in administration, the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force was invited to an international naval review hosted by the South Korean Navy, but South Korea said, "Instead of the Rising Sun flag, the Japanese flag and Taegeuk Raise the flag (South Korea's flag)," Japan protested and did not participate in the event.

But this time around, South Korea's Ministry of National Defense made it clear that it was an "international convention" for Japanese warships to visit South Korea with the ensign of the Self-Defense Forces displayed and did not see it as a problem.