Tottenham Hotspur poster wrongly depicts Korean flag, activist says

A Korean civic activist called out Tottenham Hotspur Football Club of the English Premier League and tour buses in Dubai for displaying incorrect versions of the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi.

The Korean flag Taegeukgi is wrongly depicted in a picture uploaded by Tottenham Hotspur Football Club of the English Premier League, as pointed out by Professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

A Korean civic activist called out Tottenham Hotspur Football Club of the English Premier League and tour buses in Dubai for displaying incorrect versions of the Korean national flag, the Taegeukgi.

Seo Kyoung-duk, a professor at Sungshin Women’s University and a prominent advocate for Korean cultural awareness, said on Wednesday that he has received multiple reports of inaccurate Taegeukgi flags being used abroad as Korea marked the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day on Aug. 15.

"Tottenham Hotspur posted a poster on Aug. 15 with a message commemorating Korea’s Liberation Day, which read 'Congratulations on the 80th anniversary of Korea’s liberation,'" wrote Seo. "As grateful as I am for the commemoration, it is regrettable that many of the Taegeukgi flags in the picture are wrongly drawn."

The Korean flag Taegeukgi is wrongly depicted at a city tour bus in Dubai, as pointed out by Professor Seo Kyoung-duk of Sungshin Women’s University. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

He also said that tour buses in central Dubai, a popular destination for travelers, displayed flags of various countries — but the Korean flag shown was inaccurate.

"I also confirmed a similar issue with a Taegeukgi hanging in the arrival hall at Mexico City International Airport, where the flag’s elements were arranged incorrectly," he said.

“Incorrect versions of the Taegeukgi are still being used around the world,” Seo said. “It’s important to inform others of the correct design so these errors can be corrected quickly.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom. BY JANG GU-SEUL [yoon.soyeon@joongang.co.kr]