Those looking to greet our North Korean guests who will be paying a visit for joint Liberation Day ceremonies by toasting their national flag are advised to keep the flammables at home:
The main opposition Grand National Party (GNP) Thursday criticized Prime Minister Lee Hae-chan for pledging to punish those who damage or burn North Korean flags during joint celebrations on Aug. 15, Liberation Day, in Seoul.
Lee made the remarks in response to a report that conservative civic groups in the South might incite confrontations by staging rallies during the celebrations, where North Korean delegations will also be present.
“We cannot allow these unidentified groups to damage or burn things including North Korean flags,” Lee said during a meeting of senior officials on Monday. “It cannot be tolerated anymore, politically and legally.”
Whether it’s politically tolerable to desecrate a North Korean flag is a matter for debate, but last time I checked, legally, the Ingonggi was just about the only flag it was OK to burn in the ROK, surprising as that may sound given the frequency at which bad things seem to happen to the U.S. and Japanese flags.
Personally, I’m not so hot on burning flags — there are more effective ways of making ones political grievences known. I guess my feelings on the issue are more in line with a statement made by GNP spokesman Koo Sang-chan:
“Inter-Korean relations have changed a lot, and the North Korean delegation is our guest. It is not a good idea to burn their flag in front of them,” said Koo Sang-chan, vice spokesman of the GNP.
“But it is awkward that Lee should have made those remarks. He did not raise his voice when the flags of the United States, more than 50 years an ally to South Korea, were being torn and trodden upon.”
Interestingly enough, the Korean national football team’s “Red Devil” booster club won’t be participating in any of the group-level cheering activities for the intra-Korean football match set for Sunday. Why? Because South Korean flags (and North Korean flags, for that matter) are banned from the match. And what’s more:
The Red Devil said in a statement that it will not engage in any group-level supporting activities at the match as it only backs the South Korean team and wishes it to win every match, “even if the opponent is North Korea.”
And I always figured the Red Devils as a bit on the reunificationista side. I guess I was wrong.
8 Comments
Hold on a second, now wait a minute.. let me think for a second here…
It’s ok to burn US flags, but not OK to burn NK flags?
Just whose side is South Korea on?
But nevermind, this is the NK sympathizing government so why doesn’t that surprise me?
I’ve moved to Incheon for the next two years, to an apartment in Bupyeong. Yesterday, a ????????? demonstration marched through my new neighbourhood, banners depicting burning and shredded American flags held high. I guess that wasn’t enough, because they set down one of the banners so that those marching behind could walk all over it, after which the last people picked up what was left of the banner.
I love my new neighbourhood.
Don’t play with fire.
I agree, the Nork flag should not be burned. But, it you cut one up into 4 inch strips, it makes a great field expediency toilet paper. Don’t use them in any system with plumbing, though. Jams the pipes up and repairs are messy.
“… but last time I checked, legally, the Ingonggi was just about the only flag it was OK to burn in the ROK…”
Last time I checked it is illegal to be in posession of an Ingonggi, and drawing one still puts you in violation of the National Security Law.
And I always figured the Red Devils as a bit on the reunificationista side. I guess I was wrong.
I might have predicted this when I saw the September 2002 North-South match. Those waving the blue Korean-peninsula flag seemed to be doing so only halfheartedly, and attempts to get the chant “Joguk tongil!” going fell rather flat. By the end of the match, “Daehan minguk!” seemed to be the preferred cheer.
I would think it would be very easy to either make it legal or illegal to burn any flag and then enforce that law and/or protect that right.
But in the good old ROK, it is illegal to burn the US flag (long time ally) but the police never enforce that law. While it is legal to burn the NK flag ( stated aim is to invade SK) but police don’t protect that particular right.
Strange country indeed.
Props to the Devils.