S Korea renews call for Japan to remove 'rising sun' flag

South Korea on Thursday reiterated a demand that Japan should remove its "rising sun" naval flag from a warship participating in an international fleet review at Jeju island next week.

Many South Koreans associate the symbol with Japanese military aggression during World War II and have expressed anger over the potential display of the alleged "war-crime flag" during the October 10-14 event.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha on Thursday said Japan should be more considerate about how South Koreans remember its brutal colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula before the end of the war.

South Korea's navy has asked all 14 countries participating in the fleet review to display only their national flags and the South Korean flag on their vessels, a request apparently aimed at preventing the invited Japanese destroyer from flying the "kyokujitsuki."