Theres Only Dokdo, No Takeshima.
Dear editor,
I am writing to make a comment on a July 11 article, ``Popular Singer Finances Dokdo Promotion Ad in NYT.''
I am a very globally inclined Korean student who is trying to continue my studies in a Japanese university. I love Japan for their lovely language, culture and celebrities, but when it comes to South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo or unsolved World War II problems, I become very anti-Japanese.
Dokdo has been a controversial issue for many years, not because Korea and Japan have conflict deciding who it belongs to, but because Japan keeps distorting the truth.
This Dokdo problem recently arose again and made all Koreans including me upset, because the Japanese government decided to describe Dokdo (Takeshima in Japanese) as its territory in a guidebook for schoolteachers.
At this point, Singer Kim Jang-hoon's action inspired us with the spirit of patriotism based on the sense of justice. Even though some people make sarcastic remarks that they don't pay attention to the advertisement, we are all proud of Kim for doing what the Korean government couldn't do.
As our government is having hard time claiming Dokdo as Korea's territory because Korea's international status is lower than Japan's, all Koreans are ready to devote all our energy to fight for Dokdo.
I want to ask the Japanese government, why don't you stop arguing that Dokdo is yours and try to develop our relationship? Anyway, Koreans will never give up Dokdo; there will be no compromise on this very sensitive issue. There's only Dokdo; no Takeshima.
Choi Hyeun-sun
High school student
Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province