S. Korea protests to French TV broadcaster over error in its national flag

▲ This image, captured from the YouTube channel of the French news channel LCI on Jan. 2, 2024, shows the South Korean flag (R) with the wrong red circle in the center. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

foreign ministry-French news channel

S. Korea protests to French TV broadcaster over error in its national flag

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Jan. 3 (Yonhap) -- A French TV broadcaster deleted a news report that ran a wrong graphic image of the South Korean national flag as the South Korean Embassy in Paris lodged a complaint over the matter, Seoul's foreign ministry said Wednesday.

The private news channel LCI has seen hundreds of comments posted on its YouTube channel after it used an image of the South Korean national flag with a red circle in the middle that appeared similar to the symbol on the Japanese flag. The South Korean flag, Taegeukgi, has a circle in red and blue at the center.

The news report drew criticism from viewers around the world. Many of the comments denounced the news report as being "insulting," taking note of the sensitivity of the shared past history between South Korea and Japan as South Korea was under Japan's colonial rule from 1910-45.

The foreign ministry in Seoul said it "sternly protested" to the broadcaster over the matter.

"The broadcasting company expressed regret regarding the error of the Taegeukgi and deleted the video," the ministry said in a message sent to the press.

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