By Li Zhengyu, Xinhua,
Seoul : South Korea on Monday strongly denounced Japan’s territorial claim over the disputed islets of Dokdo, which Japan calls Takeshima, in the Sea of Japan, vowing to take series of countermeasures against Japan’s move.
Japan’s Education Ministry announced earlier on Monday its plan to define Dokdo as part of Japanese territory in a teacher’s guidebook, which is expected to influence upcoming middle school textbooks to be published by Japan’s civilian publishers and also serve as a guideline for teachers, to be used from 2012 despite Seoul’s repeated opposition.
S KOREAN AMBASSADOR RECALLED TO SEOUL
In response to the decision, the South Korean Foreign Ministry released a statement at a nationwide televised news conference, describing Japan’s claim over the sovereignty to the disputed islets of Dokdo in its educational guidelines as “unacceptable and intolerable.”
South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Moon Tae-young said at the conference that South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun will return to Seoul soon on a temporary basis.
“The South Korean government can never tolerate this and strongly urges the Japanese government to immediately stop the attempt,” Moon said in the statement.
The spokesman said that Dokdo clearly belongs to South Korea ” historically, geographically, and by international law.”
“The government makes it clear again that it will deal sternly with any attempt to undermine its sovereignty over Dokdo,” he said.
WARNING OF COUNTERMEASURES
Following Moon’s statement, South Korea’s Presidential Office said that South Korea has reinforced the defense of the islets of Dokdo and will take measures to strengthen its sovereign control of the disputed islets in response to Japan’s sovereign claim.
South Korean Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan summoned Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Toshinori Shigeie later in the day and delivered deep regret over Japan’s measure during a 10-minute closed-door meeting.
Local media said that the South Korean government is determined to take strong countermeasures, including diplomatic, academic and administrative actions to consolidate South Korea’s sovereign control of Dokdo.
The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs announced Monday afternoon a plan to invest 1 billion won, or about 1 million U.S. dollars, to set up an office to manage and support administration and academic research on the islets by the end of 2009.
“The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs will conduct extensive research into the ecosystem, fishing resources and maritime environment in the sea surrounding Dokdo. The ministry will also map out a comprehensive plan to more reasonably manage facilities within the islets,” said an official of the ministry.
Officials here said that South Korean academic foundations will hold a series of forums in Seoul to call for international attention to the past record of Japan’s historical and territorial distortions.
Demonstrations and protests against Japan’s claim to Dokdo are also expected to be held by activists in central Seoul and the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, local media reported.
PRESIDENT EXPRESSES “DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT”
South Korean President Lee Myung-bak, who has been positively improving the strained ties between Seoul and Tokyo since he took office on Feb. 25 and reached agreement with Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda on pursuing a future-oriented partnership with Japan during his visit to Japan in late April, expressed “deep disappointment” with Japan on Monday.
“I’m obliged to express deep regrets and disappointment at the Japanese government’s decision to define Dokdo as part of its territory in a teacher’s manual, particularly in consideration of the existing bilateral summit agreement to pursue a future-oriented partnership. The South Korean government has to deal with the Japanese claim to Dokdo sternly and strictly,” the president said.
Local media said Japan’s decision to claim sovereignty to Dokdo despite Seoul’s strong opposition earlier was a heavy blow to Lee’s efforts to establish a closer cooperation with Japan.
Meanwhile, about 40 lawmakers of the ruling Grand National Party (GNP) and the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) conducted a brief visit to the islets of Dokdo, which are under control of South Korea, Monday afternoon and pledged non-partisan efforts to frustrate Japan’s territorial bid for the islets.
They described Japan’s claim to Dokdo as an attempt to violate South Korea’s territorial sovereignty and a serious challenge to the Korean history.
Both South Korea and Japan claim sovereignty to the islets.
South Korea insists that the Dokdo islets, located some 89 km southeast to South Korea’s Uleung Island and 160 km northwest to Japan’s Oki Island, have been listed as its territory in literature since the fifth century.
Japan claims the islets have been its territory since the 17th century, as written in literature.
South Korea has controlled the Dokdo islets since 1950s.