FIFA banned "Rainbow Armband"...Meanwhile okay to support "Rising Sun Flag"? = Korean coverage

While the international football federation FIFA has banned the wearing of rainbow armbands and has been criticized by various countries, it has been pointed out that Japan's "Rising Sun Flag" cheering that appears repeatedly at each sporting event is being watched from the sidelines.

The rainbow armband has the meaning of opposing all forms of discrimination, including sexual minorities. It is also called the "One Love Armband".

FIFA cited Article 13, Paragraph 8, Item 1 of the Equipment Regulations as the basis for not accepting this. Only armbands provided by FIFA can be worn in FIFA-sponsored finals.

FIFA instead proposed a 'NO DISCRIMINATION' armband, which the players would wear. There is a threat of a yellow card if you wear a rainbow armband.

Seven European teams - England, Wales, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland and Denmark - who were originally supposed to wear rainbow armbands, criticized the decision.

The Netherlands, which launched the rainbow armband ahead of the 2020 UEFA European Football Championship, said it would not wear the armband but said, "This is an unsporting measure that unites millions of people."

The German Football Association is also considering appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Although the debate over the rainbow armband is fierce, the reality is that cheering for the Rising Sun flag can be seen here and there. If a problem arises, the problem is solved in a way that it is withdrawn.

In October, Japan's Rising Sun flag cheering appeared on the large outer wall of "Laguna Mall" in Qatar's capital Doha, causing controversy. The large-scale advertisement in question showed a Japanese cheerleader with the Rising Sun flag painted on their face. The advertiser is unknown, but the home page address of the Qatar World Cup Organizing Committee was written in the lower left corner of the photo.

At the time of the 2018 Russia World Cup, FIFA's Official Instagram posted a photo of the Japanese cheering team's Rising Sun flag, which caused controversy.

Rising sun flag support was repeated at the time of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

In front of the South Korean athletes' dormitory building in the Olympic village, a Japanese far-right group set up a cheering banner with the Rising Sun flag. The Korean side also countered with the “Lee Soon-shin banner,” and the controversy grew.