‘Takeshima doesn’t exist’

Koichiro Gemba Japanese Foreign Minister

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade criticized the foreign minister of Japan Thursday for his remarks on Dokdo made a day earlier in the Diet, demanding the neighboring country stop its diplomatic provocation over the islets’ sovereignty.

Speaking in a regular briefing, foreign ministry spokesman Cho Tae-young demanded Koichiro Gemba withdraw his remarks that Korea “illegally occupied Dokdo,” and offer an apology.

“Korea urges Japan again to stop laying claim to Dokdo, which is part of Korea’s territory,” he said.

Seoul also returned Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda’s letter protesting President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to the easternmost islets on Aug. 10 to its sender.

It plans to send Lee’s letter making clear its rejection to Japan’s call to refer the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as Japan is apparently trying to make the islets disputed territory, early next week.

Japanese officials reportedly revealed an unpleasant feeling to Seoul’s reaction, calling it diplomatically incorrect. It is inevitable that Seoul-Tokyo ties will further deteriorate as the two sides have clashed again.

Seoul said there are several “factual errors” in the Noda letter, as it reportedly says President Lee landed on Takeshima which is under the jurisdiction of Japan’s Shimane Prefecture.

Seoul said this is one of the factual errors, as the islets are Dokdo which belongs to Korea.

Cheong Wa Dae had considered ignoring the letter without reacting to Japan. But some legal experts addressed the risks lurked in this option. If Seoul keeps the Noda letter without responding to it, they claim, this could give room for Japan’s misinterpretation that Korea consents to its claim. <The Korea Times/Kang Hyun-kyung>

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