Seoul bolsters sovereignty over Dokdo

A helipad is located at the rocky top of Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo. The government has reinforced the structure, making it possible for heavier helicopters to visit the island in one of 28 projects aimed at solidifying the country’s sovereignty over Dokdo. / Courtesy of the Prime Minister’s Office

W1.1 trillion earmarked for 28 projects

By Park Si-soo

South Korea is solidifying its sovereignty over its easternmost islets of Dokdo with a set of ambitious construction and research projects.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) is in charge of 28 different kinds of work on the desolate rocky islets in the East Sea, claimed by Japan, which call them Takeshima.

The Korea Times has obtained a government paper with detailed information about the projects on the occasion of the neighboring country’s Shimane Prefecture hosting an annual rally on Feb. 22 to promote its territorial ambitions.

The demonstration, first held in 2005, is expected to cast ㅡ though temporarily ㅡ dark clouds over Seoul-Tokyo diplomatic ties.

Japan began to play hardball with this issue this year, making it clear that the country will not withdraw its territorial claim to the island. Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba vowed in a recent public speech to “tenaciously take measures” and “be firm in telling South Korea what we cannot accept” its arguments on the issue, to which Seoul shot back with condemning remarks.

Korea has rejected Japan’s claims to the islets as nonsense because the former regained its independence from Japan’s 1910-45 colonial rule and reclaimed sovereignty over its territories, including Dokdo and many other islands around the Korean Peninsula

Dokdo projects

According to the paper, PMO has proceeded with the projects with a budget of 1.1 trillion won ($978 million).

Twelve of them, mostly the construction of residential and surveillance facilities there, have been completed and the remaining 16 will be completed in the years to come, the PMO said.

“Dokdo is undisputed Korean territory,” said Hong Yun-sik, deputy minister for national issues at the PMO who leads a task force established to handle all Dokdo-related matters in the government. “The projects will help improve the living environment on the island and at the same time enhance the country’s surveillance capacity to detect unauthorized approaches and landings.”

Hong’s task force is comprised of officials from eight government bodies, including the foreign, education and justice ministries, and the police.

Dokdo, which is located seven hours from the Korean mainland on a high-speed ferry, is currently guarded by a small police detachment. Only a handful of civilians are permitted to live there.

Among the completed projects is the structural reinforcement of a police-owned helipad. The government completed the work last September after discovering critical structural problems with the facility built in 1981.

The upgrade has made it possible for a chopper weighing up to 25 tons to visit the island around the clock. The outdated one carried a maximum load of 10 tons.

The National Police Agency (NPA) has upgraded power and communications cables in the residential and surveillance facilities to ensure guards’ comfortable stay and swift response to any emergency situations.

The NPA has also modernized radar there and installed surveillance cameras surrounding Dokdo for early detection of unauthorized landings.

The Ministry of Land, Transport and Maritime Affairs has earmarked 407.4 billion won to build a giant breakwater to protect properties from violent waves. The ministry is also considering building an unmanned ocean research station capable of doing a wide range of environmental research about one kilometer northwest of Dokdo.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism is taking a leading role in collecting historical records backing Seoul’s ownership of Dokdo and promoting them to boost global awareness.

The ministry has spent 280 million won to monitor how the Seoul-Tokyo dispute regarding Dokdo is viewed in other countries and to develop countermeasures, if deemed necessary. It has completed a master plan to develop tourism assets there with the budget of 600 million won.

The Ministry of Environment plans to kick off comprehensive research on the ecosystems in waters off the island.

The waters and seabed surrounding Dokdo have been confirmed to be rich in fish and minerals in studies. But experts call for conducting more to have a clearer picture of the ecosystems and natural resources there.

Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn
Site Map E-paper Subscribe Register LogIn