Dokdo symbolizes Korea's sovereignty
Lee Seok-woo Inha Univ. professor
This is the 11th in a series of contributed articles by international and Korean experts shedding light on Japan
’s claim to Korea
’s easternmost islets of Dokdo and other affairs that prove Japan’s lack of remorse about misdeeds it has committed. ― ED
By Lee Seok-woo
The most precise expression of Korea’s understanding of the issue of sovereignty over Dokdo was perhaps a special address by the late President Roh Moo-hyun in
April 2006.
Roh stated that Dokdo was the first part of Korean territory annexed by Japan in the course of its usurpation of the Korean Peninsula, and that the easternmost rocky islets were a symbol of Korea’s complete recovery of sovereignty.
The historical awareness of Korea-Japan relations is presently, and will continue to be, the indicators of the understanding of the Korean people regarding the Dokdo issue.
The possession of Dokdo is currently the highlight of conflict between Korea and Japan. The current row, triggered by the President Lee Myung-bak’s visit to Dokdo on Aug. 10 and worsened by his demand for an apology by the emperor, prompted Japan’s proposal to submit the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
For Japan, President Lee’s reasoning behind his Dokdo visit has been namely his frustration with Japan’s insincere attitude toward the ‘comfort women?issue and the need to demonstrate his active protest before the passive Japanese.
This dispute between Korea and Japan has led to instability in East Asia, together with the Senkaku Islands dispute between China and Japan. Though searching for exit strategies in order to change such conflict, the relevant and other interested parties such as the United States have been busy calculating their costs and benefits.
President Lee’s visit to Dokdo and Japan’s proposal to submit the case to the ICJ are not new but merely standard expressions of the long-repeated conflict between the two states.
The declaration of Takeshima Day by the Shimane Prefecture in Japan on Feb. 22, 2005, not only furthered the confrontation in Korea-Japan relations but ironically also caused Dokdo to be positioned at the heart of Korean identity.
Korean central and local governments have been busily proposing measures to strengthen sovereignty over Dokdo. Japan’s efforts to reclaim the islets in response have also been reported.
Korea’s position is that Dokdo has been historically, geographically, and legally part of its territory as can be confirmed by international law and it is not subject to diplomatic negotiations or judicial evaluation by the ICJ.
Nevertheless, concern over normalized relations with Korea is a fixed variable that cannot be ignored by Japan in its efforts over the Dokdo dispute.
The resolution of the Dokdo issue lies in a change of understanding.
First, Korea and Japan must seriously reconsider the unique historical background and its correlation with Dokdo. This situation in which one party has been colonized by the other is unique and this is no precedent of a territorial dispute between a colonized state and its colonizer.
Japan’s continued defiance and denial of Korea’s sovereignty over the islets shows that the call for change in Japan’s understanding of its historical relations and expectations for good will be seen in a negative light. The Dokdo visit and the remarks of President Lee should be understood along these lines.
Korea’s national support for the unprecedented disaster in Japan caused by an earthquake on March 11, 2011, has great implications. There were many in Korea who were undoubtedly sympathetic toward the suffering of the neighbouring state and its people as seen in the passion displayed in the voluntary fundraising activities.
This was exceptional especially considering the historical obstacles created by the contemporary history between the two countries which includes Japan’s forceful occupation of Korea.
The issue of the appropriateness of financial support for the world’s third-largest economic power, as was debated in the United States and other Western countries, was not publicly raised in Korea.
However, such sentiment of the Korean people was transformed to anger toward Japan’s repayment of good with evil when the Japanese government announced its decision to insert the phrase, ‘Dokdo is Japan’s territory?in a middle school social studies textbook.
The Korean people’s anger toward Japan’s claim over Dokdo has led to various aggressive measures by the government to strengthen its control over Dokdo, such as plans to construct the Dokdo Ocean Research Station and the expansion of residential property on Dokdo.
One point that should not be overlooked, however, is that the lawful possession of Dokdo is neither strengthened nor weakened by the construction of such structures. Neither can it be changed by the stationing of Korean troops or a presidential visit. This is why the Dokdo policy of the Korean government should be implemented with a focus on maintaining calm.
Lee Seok-woo is a law professor at Inha University Law School