The Korean FA has defended the country's ManU supporters group "for unfurling a politically-charged banner at Sunday's East Asian Cup game against Japan" and said that Japanese fans had incited trouble by raising the "rising sun" flag, according to Narae Kim of REUTERS. Korean fans "unfurled a massive banner" at Jamsil Stadium that read, "A nation that forgets its history has no future." The Japanese FA "lodged a complaint." However, the KFA said that "Japanese fans had to shoulder some of the blame." In a statement to the East Asian Football Federation, the KFA said, "The rising sun flag is a reminder of South Korea's painful history. This all started because Japanese supporters raised the flag right after the game started, which inflamed the South Korean supporters." The KFA said it was "extremely disappointing that even senior members of the Japanese government denounced South Korea." The KFA said, "They should stop criticizing only what South Korea did while ignoring the fact that the Japanese supporters raised a large rising sun flag in the center of South Korea's capital" (REUTERS, 7/31).
