South Korean envoy to Japan said Monday it is premature at this stage to send marines to Dokdo, noting that the government needs a more strategic response to Japan's renewed claim to the South Korean islets in the East Sea.
"I understand the public anger, but it would be unwise to trigger an international dispute over the islets which surely belong to us by making a premature move," Yonhap News quoted Kwon Chul-hyun, Korea's ambassador to Japan, as saying during a meeting with ruling party lawmakers in Seoul.
Kwon was recalled to Seoul last week in protest against Japan's provocative claim and is expected to stay in the country indefinitely until the row subsides.
The South Korean government has been considering sending troops to the islets currently guarded by police, signaling a major shift in its policy from quiet occupation to more active defense against Japan's territorial claim.
The longtime irritant in the Seoul-Tokyo relationship resurfaced last week, when Japan identified Dokdo as its territory in an educational handbook for teachers.
"We must take a strategic approach, taking advantage of the fact that Japan does not like (international) isolation," Kwon was quoted as saying. "Japan is already in a dilemma over the issue that will not only strain its ties with South Korea, but may also threaten its position in the six-party nuclear talks."