As South Korea marked the peninsula's Liberation Day on August 15, 2026, social media posts shared an image from the commemoration ceremony and falsely claimed the national flag was incorrectly hung vertically and disrespected by being displayed next to other historical versions. The posts surfaced as the national symbol became a recurring political flashpoint in the days leading up to the anniversary, with critics alleging that incorrectly displayed emblems were a sign of disrespect and communist sympathies. But the flag at the Liberation Day ceremony was displayed in accordance with national guidelines, and similar displays were seen at numerous events as well as under previous administrations.
"Why isn't there a single proper national flag displayed correctly at the Liberation Day ceremony? They are truly crazy. I'm not overly sensitive, right?" says the Korean-language caption of a news screenshot shared on Threads on August 15, 2026.
In a comment under the main post, the poster describes the current South Korean government as a "pro-North Korea regime".
The screenshot appears to have been taken from live TV coverage of the official Liberation Day ceremony on the same day, marking the Korean peninsula's independence from Japanese rule between 1910 and 1945.
Five flags -- the national flag in the centre, and variations on either side -- can be seen hanging vertically as a backdrop to the event, which was held in Seoul and attended by President Lee Jae Myung and other senior officials.
The run-up to the Liberation Day anniversary has been dotted with controversies surrounding the display of the national flag, called the Taegeukgi ( archived link).
Earlier in August, an AI image was shared in posts falsely claiming that fireworks at a state-funded festival in Incheon, west of Seoul, had insultingly displayed the Taegeukgi upside down. They accused officials of being North Korean sympathisers.
Officials in the same city had earlier faced similar accusations after critics believed they had put up a banner showing a woman holding the flag upside down (archived here, here and here). The street banner in fact showed the woman holding the banner over her head, but the city government removed it as the controversy grew.
The circulating image showing the Taegeukgi hung vertically next to variations of the flag were also shared in similar Threads, YouTube and X posts, with commenters framing the display as unpatriotic.
"They are proving that they are anti-state elements," says one comment, while another asks: "Are these traitorous groups denying the Republic of Korea?"
The display, however, adheres to national regulations on how the flag should be hung.
The four flags displayed on either side of the national flag are historic versions used by people who fought against the Japanese occupation.
An official at the public administration ministry, who declined to be named due to fears of harassment, told AFP on August 18 the flags were presented together to honour the spirit of those who fought.
The older flags vary slightly in design -- including the placement of the black bars -- before the current design was finalised in 1949.
The four flags -- including the edition signed by the prominent independence activist Kim Gu -- are designated as national treasures for their historical significance (archived here, here, here and here).
The flag placed at the centre of the stage was hung in line with official government regulations, the official said ( archived link). When displayed vertically, it should be rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
"The national flag has often been hung vertically, including at international events, state visits and presidential inaugurations," he added, rejecting claims that the vertical display "disrespected" the flag.
Footage of the 2024 Liberation Day commemoration ceremony -- attended by then-president Yoon Suk-Yeol -- shows the flag was also hung vertically ( archived link).
Similar displays were also used during Yoon's inauguration in 2022 as well as Lee's in 2025 (archived links here and here).
AFP has previously debunked other false claims about South Korea's national flag.