Announcement of statement by spokesperson… “Future-oriented Korea-Japan relations are not helpful.”
The government strongly protested against the Japanese Foreign Minister’s repeated assertion in his annual diplomatic speech that Dokdo is Japanese territory and urged him to immediately withdraw the claim.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement under the name of its spokesperson on the 30th and said, “We once again make it clear that the Japanese government’s unfair claims have no impact on our sovereignty over Dokdo, which is Korea’s inherent territory.”
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, “The Japanese government must clearly realize that repeating unfair claims about Dokdo will not help build future-oriented Korea-Japan relations in any way,” and added, “We will respond resolutely to any provocations by Japan regarding Dokdo.” “I would like to state once again that this is the case,” he emphasized.
He continued, “Similar to ‘Japanese modern industrial facilities,’ Sado Mine has a painful history of wartime forced mobilization, so we once again emphasize that it is most important to reflect the entire history of Sado Mine in order to discuss listing it as a World Heritage Site.” warned.
Previously, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa said in a diplomatic speech at the regular session of the National Assembly that day, “In light of historical facts and international law, it is Japan’s unique territory.”
Japan repeats fabricated claims of sovereignty over Dokdo, which is clearly Korea’s inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law, through remarks by the Foreign Minister in the National Assembly in January, textbook inspection in March, the Foreign Affairs Blueprint in May, and the Defense White Paper in July.
In particular, the Japanese Foreign Minister’s outrageous remarks about Dokdo have continued for 11 years since current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said in a diplomatic speech during his time as Foreign Minister in 2014 that “Takeshima in Shimane Prefecture (竹島, the name of Dokdo claimed by Japan) is Japan’s inherent territory.” .
In his speech, Foreign Minister Kamikawa also mentioned that, regarding the listing of the Sado Mine in Niigata Prefecture, the site of forced labor of Koreans during the Japanese colonial period, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, he said, “We will continue to have respectful discussions with the relevant countries and definitely do our part.”
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.