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| Dokdo <자료사진> © News1 Reporter Hwang Deok-Hyun |
The Japanese government is poised to raise its fever again in asserting that Dokdo is its own territory ahead of the so-called’Takeshima Day’ on the 22nd.
Recently, when the media reports that the South Korean military authorities had written an internal document containing a scenario of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces invading Dokdo, the Japanese Ministry of Defense argued that it was “unacceptable at all if it is true.”
Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi said in an interview on the 12th, in response to reporters’ questions about the report, saying, “Takeshima is a territory unique to Korea (Japan) that is obvious both in light of historical facts and in international law.”
Defense Minister Kishi said, “If the Korean side has a perception that’Japan is trying to increase the military threat’ over Takeshima, it is completely untrue,” and said, “It is extremely regrettable.”
The Japanese government is arguing that Dokdo is a “proprietary territory in Japan” and “Korea is illegally occupied”, which was announced in 1905 as “Takeshima” for incorporation into Shimane Prefecture.
In particular, the Japanese government dispatched vice minister-level personnel every year to the “Takeshima Day” (February 22) held by Shimane Prefecture to commemorate the announcement of Takeshima’s transfer to Shimane Prefecture in 2013, and official documents such as diplomatic offices and defense white papers. Edo has repeatedly marked Dokdo as its own territory, causing conflicts with our side every time.
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| A chart of’Japan and neighboring countries’ air defense identification rights (ADIZ)’ published in the 2020 Japanese Defense White Paper. Above Dokdo, marked as’Takeshima’, there is a solid blue line indicating Japanese airspace. (Captured Japanese Defense White Paper) © News1 |
The Japanese government has been protesting against the Korean government every time when Korean politicians visit Dokdo, as well as Korean military exercises and maritime investigations conducted offshore near Dokdo.
Meanwhile, the Dong-A Ilbo reported on the 11th that’a document within the military authorities stating the scenario of the Japanese Self-Defense Force’s invasion of Dokdo and the ROK military’s countermeasures to defend it was reported to the National Assembly in December of last year’. It is known that he called an official at our embassy to complain and asked for an explanation of the facts.
In relation to the report, an official on our side said that it was “different from the truth”.
However, some in Japan care a lot about the contents of the report because the expression on the relationship between Korea and Japan in the ‘2020 Defense White Paper’ recently published by the Ministry of Defense changed from “Nearest Neighbor and Partner” to “Neighbor Country” two years ago. It’s the atmosphere.
In 2006, the two countries had a conflict over the issue of conducting maritime surveys in the waters near Dokdo, and in this process, the Korean Maritime Police Agency and the Japanese Maritime Security Agency’s ships confronted each other and even went to a situation on the verge of an’armed conflict’.
Afterwards, the Japanese Ministry of Defense received protests from the Korean government by stating that when a foreign military aircraft invades over Dokdo in its 2019 edition of the Defense White Paper, it is possible to launch a self-defense fighter jet.