Newcastle apologized first to defuse the situation without understanding the true meaning of the Rising Sun flag.
Newcastle left deep scars on Korean fans. On the 2nd, Newcastle announced its third jersey created in collaboration with Adidas through its official social media. However, the video sparked controversy when a fan, who appeared to be Japanese, waved a Newcastle flag shaped like the Rising Sun flag. The flag, written with 'NUFC JAPAN,' is in black and white, but it is clear to anyone that it was made for Japan.
As the situation escalated, Newcastle deleted the problematic scenes from the video and posted an apology. Newcastle noted, 'We received a report that a flag that could cause discomfort appeared in the video. We immediately edited the video. We apologize for any discomfort caused.'
According to a report by 'Northern Echo,' Newcastle's club side stated that they did not prepare the Rising Sun flag when filming the promotional video. The Japanese fan who appeared in the video brought the Rising Sun flag and used it without any awareness of the problem.
If they did not recognize the problem upon seeing the Rising Sun flag, there is no room for excuses. Moreover, as the issue grew, Newcastle is shifting the responsibility onto the actor involved. They claim that the person who brought the Rising Sun flag is responsible, but they themselves were unaware.
This is not the first time Newcastle has used the Rising Sun flag. According to a report by the British 'Metro,' it has been confirmed that Newcastle engaged in a card section support shaped like the Rising Sun flag during a home game against Everton on May 25 at St. James' Park.
The appearance of the black and white Rising Sun flag with the Newcastle logo in the center closely resembled the original. The card section was conducted on a large scale, spanning the first and second tiers. It was an enormous support event that could not have been conducted without the club's consent.
In the end, the ignorant Newcastle only apologized without understanding the meaning of the Rising Sun flag. Newcastle is set to face Team K League in Suwon on the 30th and Tottenham in Seoul on August 3. It seems that Newcastle, concerned about the success of its Singapore and Korea tour, apologized first without understanding the meaning of the Rising Sun flag.
Moreover, Newcastle downplayed the issue of using the Rising Sun flag to a mere matter of fans' feelings or manners while failing to acknowledge that they engaged in behavior supporting a former aggressor nation.
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