The International Olympic Committee(IOC) reportedly plans a case-by-case approach toward Tokyo’s controversial plan to allow its imperialist military flag to be shown during next year’s Summer Olympic Games. 

According to Japanese public broadcaster NHK on Thursday, the IOC reiterated its principle that sports stadiums should be free of political demonstrations, but said it will deal with the Rising Sun flag issue when concerns arise during the Tokyo Olympics.

While indicating a willingness to judge the matter case by case, the Olympic governing body came short of announcing an outright ban on the use of the flag. 

According to Japanese media outlets, the Rising Sun flag is not currently on the list of items banned from entering stadiums during the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

On Wednesday, the South Korean government revealed that it officially urged the IOC to play an active role in banning the use of the flag during the sporting events next year.