South Korean fans unfurl anti-Japanese banner in Seoul

South Korea's strained soccer relations with Japan have been damaged further after a banner unfurled by the home team's fans in Seoul on Sunday during the East Asian Cup stoked political tension between the two.

Fans at the regional tournament final at Jamsil Olympic Stadium, which Japan won 2-1, unfurled a massive banner that read: "A nation that forgets its history has no future" in an apparent reference to what many South Koreans see as Japan's unwillingness to acknowledge its wartime and colonial excesses.

The two countries were also at the centre of a diplomatic row at the 2012 London Olympics when soccer player Park Jong-woo held up a sign referring to a territorial dispute, while celebrating South Korea's 2-0 win over Japan in the bronze medal game in August.

"I was hoping something like this would not occur this time, so it's unfortunate," said Kyodo News, quoting Japan Football Association president Kuniya Daini yesterday. "We ask the East Asian federation to thoroughly investigate the matter and act in the appropriate fashion."

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said the incident was "extremely regrettable" and the Japanese government "will respond appropriately based on Fifa rules when the facts are revealed."