K-netizens were livid after coming across a birthday advertisement on the morning of March 1, on their way to work, school, etc. 

On this day, netizens taking public transportation spotted a birthday advertisement dedicated toward Miyawaki Sakura, whose birthday falls on March 19. The advertisement was put up by a Chinese fan club and will run from February 28 through March 31 at Samseong Station, a busy subway station near landmarks like the COEX Mall. 

What immediately caught the attention of subway-goers was the "rising sun" flag design used in one panel of the advertisement. As many of you know, the "rising sun" symbol is considered a highly offensive symbol in Korea, due to the country's history of forced colonization by Japan. Furthermore, many people spotted this advertisement on March 1, which is a historic holiday in South Korea - Korean Independence Movement Day, commemorating the March 1st Movement of 1919 when demonstrations arose across the nation against Japan's imperial rule. 

Numerous netizens commented in response to the subway ad, 

"I'm gonna go report this right now."

"Everyone, please report this to the subway station immediately."

"I can't believe this. Today is March 1st!!"

"I'm angry about the design, but I'm also so angry that Koreans who work with advertisement requests also let this slide without raising any flags."

"Even if today wasn't March 1st, this would never be okay."

"Whoever came up with that must have left their brain somewhere else."

"This is ridiculous."

"The Korean employee who allowed this to be put up... they must not have a conscience." 

"I'm disgusted. Just filed a report." 

Many netizens also discussed the matter with the Chinese fan club in question, and a rep from the fan club has since issued a statement, assuring that they have asked to replace the ad with a different design.