Jamsil Baseball Stadium (Image courtesy of Seoul city) SEOUL, Aug. 16 (Korea Bizwire) – In the lead up to South Korea’s Liberation Day, the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) found itself embroiled in an unexpected controversy over the display of the Japanese flag at Jamsil Baseball Stadium in Seoul. The debate began when fans learned that Shirukawa Keisho, a 23-year-old Japanese pitcher for the Doosan Bears, was initially scheduled to start on August 15, Korea’s Liberation Day.
This day commemorates Korea’s liberation from Japanese colonial rule in 1945. Responding to fan concerns, the Doosan Bears adjusted their rotation, explaining that due to a rain cancellation on August 13, Korean pitcher Choi Won-jun would start on the 15th, with Shirukawa’s start pushed to the 16th against the KT Wiz in Suwon. However, the controversy shifted to the Japanese flag displayed at Jamsil Stadium.
For two decades, Doosan has maintained a tradition of flying the national flags of its foreign players alongside the South Korean flag. Currently, this includes the flags of the United States, Canada, and Japan. Fans are divided on the issue.
Some argue that a 23-year-old athlete shouldn’t be caught in political crossfire, while others maintain that displaying the Japanese flag on Liberation Day is inappropriate. Kim Sung-chul, a 26-year-old baseball fan, said, “What wrong has this young foreign player, who came to Korea to earn a living, done?” He added, “Korean-Japanese relation.