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Japanese politicians’ planned visit to Ulleung Island

Posted July. 27, 2011 07:39,   

한국어

Four lawmakers from the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan are planning to visit next month the Korean island of Ulleung, which is located between the two countries. Their plan again raises questions about Japan and its conscience. The lawmakers are known to visit the island on Aug. 2 to look around the Dokdo Museum and spend a night there. They must have looked down on Korea to the point that they think they can claim the Dokdo islets as Japanese territory by going all the way to Ulleung Island.

The Japanese Foreign Ministry banned the use of Korean Air to all staff for a month from July 18 to protest the virgin flight of a Korean Air A380 over Dokdo on June 16. As Tokyo nitpicks on an absurd issue, its opposition lawmakers are following suit in an irrational manner. A Japanese court made a ruling that even Japanese lawyers are blasting as the worst ever. The names of certain Koreans who survived the draft under Japanese colonial rule were mistakenly listed as the dead with war criminals in a shrine. In a lawsuit requesting a revision, the Tokyo District Court sided with the Yasukuni Shrine, saying, “Since the list of the dead is the realm of gods, nothing can be revised.”

Even if the Japanese lawmakers visit Ulleung Island, Korean sovereignty over Dokdo will not change. Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan should read again his apology that he made last year at the centennial anniversary of his country`s annexation of Korea. “The party that gave suffering forgets easily what they did while the other party that suffered cannot easily forget. I offer my sincere apology from the bottom of my heart for the damage and suffering caused by colonial rule,” he said at the time. Had this speech been sincere, Japan’s absurdities would not have happened.

Seoul should clarify that it will not tolerate Japan’s claim to Dokdo to Tokyo and Japanese politicians. Korea should consider sending the Japanese lawmakers back home at the airport so that they can no longer covet Dokdo.

Korea should also strictly respond to China’s abrupt claim over Ieo Island. The island belongs to the Korean exclusive economic zone. Korea set up an ocean research center for ocean observation on the island in 2003 and uses Ieo as a search and rescue base for the Korea Coast Guard. The island is located much closer to Korea than China; it is 149 kilometers away from Mara Island, which is off Korea`s southern coast and 247 kilometers from China’s Tung Tao. Nonetheless, Beijing charts the island as Chinese territory and calls it “Suyenzhao.” Korea should warn China not to covet Korean territory.