Media

NBC’s TODAY Show Uses Wrong Country’s Flag To Report The Death Of Former Japanese PM Abe Shinzo

[Screenshot/Rumble/NBC]

Nicole Silverio Media Reporter
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NBC’s The TODAY Show aired a shot of the South Korean flag during a Friday segment reporting on the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.

The segment reported on his death by a gunshot wound to the chest. The Today Show reported that police captured the alleged gunman, who claimed to have a “dissatisfaction” with Abe. The network then turned to the low rates of gun violence in Japan.

NBC’s footage zoomed into a line of five poles hanging the South Korean flag as a reporter described Japan’s gun laws as being some of “the most stringent in the world.”

The segment described Japan’s regulations for purchasing a firearm, which include attending a gun safety class, passing a written exam, having a doctor sign off on mental health, and undergoing an extensive background check.

The report pointed to Abe’s political ties to former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, plus his tenure as the longest serving prime minister in Japanese history. Legacy media outlets CBS Mornings and NPR referred to the deceased former prime minister as a “polarizing right-wing nationalist” and “ultranationalist.” NPR deleted an initial tweet calling Abe a “divisive arch-conservative” in their report about his assassination.  (RELATED: Photo Allegedly Shows Homemade Gun Used To Kill Former Japanese Prime Minister)

Abe was shot at around 11:30 a.m. and was immediately transported to the hospital. He arrived without vitals and suffering from cardiopulmonary arrest. A team of 20 medical professionals attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful.

Dr. Hidetada Fukushima, a professor of emergency medicine, said Abe suffered from two gunshot wounds and showed no vital signs upon arrival, NBC News reported. Abe was pronounced dead at 4:03 a.m. Eastern time.