Subscribe
E-Paper
 |
| PSV Eindhoven used the design of Japan's Rising Sun flag in promoting a new player. PSV's Instagram and Facebook |
By Jung Min-ho
PSV Eindhoven, a popular Dutch football club, has apologized for using the design of Japan's Rising Sun flag ― a symbol of Japan's wartime aggression ― in promoting a new player last month.
After signing a contract with Japanese midfielder Ritsu Doan, 21, on Aug. 28, PSV posted his photo decorated with the flag design on social media, which drew a torrent of complaints.
"We posted the image that many people found unpleasant," PSV said in a Korean statement Sunday. "Some people pointed out that it was an inconsiderate, unwise choice (of image) … We'd like to tell you that it was never our intention to upset any of our fans."
After hundreds of people complained, the club removed the flag pattern from the image.
Since its defeat in World War II, Germany has strictly banned the use of any patterns or designs that invoke the swastika flag ― a symbol of Hitler's Nazi era.
