DOKDO IS OURS!!!

(SITE NOTE: See Dokdo: Korea Net for background, but realize that the reference to Usando being the same as Dokdo on the website does NOT make sense as Usando is 8km from Uilengdo (main island), while Dokdo is 92km from Uilengdo. In addition, all the "proof" offered by the Koreans are suspect and under international law, the posession of the island was not settled after the end of WWII -- and the US specifically let the matter sit because of the conflicting claim by Syngman Rhee and the Japanese. In fact, the Mutual Defense Treaty with Korea is the one that states that the US will NOT automatically enter the fray to support Korea and must have Congressional approval. The reason is that the US position is that if Korea gets into a scrap over disputed islands and territory, it is on its own. As a matter of national honor, the Koreans in 1954 illegally seized the island and have held it by force with armed Maritime Police (popularly called Coast Guard) on the rock since that time.

The Shimane Prefectural Assembly's passed an ordinance designating 22 Feb. 2004 as "Takeshima Day" to reiterate Japan's territorial claim to the Takeshima islands. Though the ROK protested, Japan simply stated that this was a prefecture ordinance -- not a Japanese law -- and it could not interfere. Japan's renewed claim to Dokdo followed the discovery of large hydrocarbon deposits around the island, and to the rising nationalism in Japan. In 2004 a 10-year, $225-million gas exploration project was started southwest of Dokdo by Korea Gas, a state company. Korea National Oil and Woodside Petroleum of Australia started oil and gas exploration in the summer of 2005 north of Dokdo. Japan's claim to Dokdo is attributed to the rising trend of Japanese nationalism.

Personally we side with Korea possession as it dates back to the Chosun Dynasty in the 8th Century -- and even has historical references of the Chosun King forbidding his people to live on Ullengdo -- near Dokdo -- indicating that the "area" belonged to the Chosun king. The Japanese at the time also admitted that Ullengdo was Korean territory. Historically, the evidence seems to side with Korea. Japan on the other hand, states that the Chosun king ceded the island to Japan in 1905 -- the first land acquiesced to the Japanese BEFORE Japan annexed Korea in 1910. Whether this defense can be supported in an international court is debatable.

Another problem is that both countries didn't seem to indicate Dokdo/Takeshima/Liancourt Rocks specifically and the historical references being used are confusing at best. Though the Dokdo/Takeshima at 87km is closer to Ullengdo (Kangwan-do, Korea) than Nishino-shima, Toyoda and Dogo Islands (Shimane Province, Japan) at 157.5km. The "proof" that Japanese had fished around Dokdo/Takeshima dating as far back as Korean records, makes everything murky. In Korea, Dokdo was called 'Usando', 'Hajido' and 'Sambongdo', and it is in the report of the governor of Ulleung-gun in 1906 where we can see Dokdo was called 'Dokdo'. In Japan, it was in the 17th century that the name "Dokdo" appeared; at that time Ulleungdo was called 'Jukdo' and Dokdo was called 'Songdo'. In modern times, the name "Songdo" disappeared, instead "Jukdo", which was originally the name for Ulleungdo, became the name for "Dokdo". The name 'Dokdo' appears for the first time in the Report of Sim Heungtak, the governor of Ulleung-gun in 1906. It is sometimes called "Dokdo" or "Tokdo" under different romanization standards. In 1849 French whale-hunters gave the name of their ship -- Liancourt -- to the islets. (Source: Global Security.org.) In addition, though the Korean side has shoals near Ullengdo, the shoals and underwater reefs near Dokdo are closer to Japan. (See Google Earth Search) We ultimately believe that the matter should be settled in the World Court with ALL the evidence laid out -- in a winner-take-all battle -- where the fabricated evidence (and there is some centuries old) can be weeded out.)

1899 Map used by Koreans to "Prove" their claim to Dokdo. Unfortunately, the island claimed to be Dokdo on the map is much too close to Ullengdo and in the wrong direction to be Dokdo. Other maps also confuse the issue by differing names.

The following is an excerpt from an essay by Mark J. Valencia in Nautilus.org in May 2006. It shows how convoluted this affair is due to interpretations of international maritime law under the 1982 UN Convention on Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

However at the heart of the dispute are two tiny islets called Takeshima by Japan and Dok Do by the Koreas. Both Japan and the Koreas claim sovereignty over the islets which are located 47 nautical miles east of South Korea's Ullung Island and 86 nautical miles northwest of Japan's Oki Island. The islets appear to be unable to support human habitation without external assistance and arguably have no economic life of their own. Thus according to the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) they should not generate a continental shelf or an EEZ.

South Korea has effectively controlled the islets since 1954. It occupies them and claims a 200 nm EEZ from Ullung Do which includes Dok Do. However, Japan argues that Takeshima can legally generate a Japanese continental shelf and EEZ. Its claim may be motivated by its concern that abandoning such a position might undermine its other claims to ocean space and resources around isolated islets such as the Senkakus in the East China Sea and Okinotorishima. The respective EEZ claims thus overlap and the area of overlap happens to include a rich squid fishery and potential deep water oil and methane hydrates (gas), as well as valuable minerals.

The legal situation is complex and uncertain. Both South Korea and Japan are parties to UNCLOS. But South Korea refuses to acknowledge Japan's claim either to Dok Do or to part of its EEZ. Its position is that a dispute over Dok Do does not exist because it is indisputably Korean territory. North Korea takes the same position and actually offered to help South Korea defend the islands during the recent confrontation.

According to UNCLOS, marine scientific research cannot be undertaken in another country's EEZ without that country's consent. Since Japan argues that it would be undertaking the survey in its own claimed EEZ, it feels there is no need to obtain South Korea's consent and that announcing its intentions was a simple courtesy. South Korea said it would arrest Japanese Coast Guard survey boats if they began to survey in South Korea's claimed zone. To back up its threat, it dispatched 20 gunboats to the area to conduct high seas seizure drills. But UNCLOS holds that government ships like those of the Japanese Coast Guard have immunity and thus presumably cannot be arrested. To do so could even be considered an act of war.

Also Japan could argue that it is undertaking a hydrographic survey not marine scientific research. Some countries like the United States and the United Kingdom argue that hydrographic surveys in another country's EEZ which by definition are generally undertaken to obtain information for the making of navigational charts and the safety of navigation cannot be regulated by the coastal state. Indeed they argue it is an exercise of the freedom of navigation and other internationally lawful uses of the sea accorded by UNCLOS. And UNCLOS also mandates that if countries are unable to agree on continental shelf or EEZ boundaries, the states concerned shall "make every effort to enter into provisional arrangements of a practical nature and during this transitional period, not to jeopardize or hamper the reaching of the final agreement". Thus Japan could try to legally challenge South Korea on any of these bases.

According to UNCLOS and the UN Charter both parties have an obligation to settle disputes by peaceful means. But if one party maintains there is no dispute, then the other must demonstrate that a dispute exists, presumably by diplomatic or ultimately physical means. Indeed Japan is apparently trying to force recognition that there is indeed such a dispute which must be settled according to the "Compulsory Procedures Entailing Binding Decisions" in UNCLOS. And it may well have succeeded. In an attempt to pre-empt this tactic, South Korea submitted a request to the UN Secretary General to exempt the current row from the dispute settlement procedures in UNCLOS.

To avoid compulsory settlement procedures, South Korea could argue that the so-called dispute necessarily involves the concurrent consideration of an unsettled sovereignty dispute over the islets and thus according to UNCLOS is excluded from the procedures. An excluded dispute may be submitted to settlement procedures only by agreement of the parties to the dispute. Assuming South Korean vessels arrest Japanese vessels, South Korea could also argue that the dispute concerns military or law enforcement activities which, according to UNCLOS, are excluded from the jurisdiction of a court or tribunal. Or it could argue that the dispute involves marine scientific research and it has not given its consent for such research in its EEZ. Thus in accordance with UNCLOS it is not obliged to submit to such settlement. Obviously there is a lot of room for legal maneuver and delay on both sides.

The agreed compromise consists of Japan canceling for now its planned survey and South Korea canceling its plan to register Korean names for submarine features near the disputed islets. However, South Korea has said that it is its sovereign right to do so and that it would indeed do so at an appropriate time. Meanwhile the two will try to negotiate their continental shelf and EEZ boundaries. Given the political sensitivities and the valuable resources in the disputed area as well as the legal complexities, this dispute is far from over. However, it would be far better for both parties and the region if this explosive issue were settled once and for all.

But the maritime boundary cannot be resolved until there is agreement on what to do about the sovereignty of the islands. One possibility would be to enclave the islands in a 12 nm territorial sea circle and to agree on a boundary equidistant between Ullung and Oki islands. This approach would ignore the islets and leave their sovereignty to be determined by a wiser generation.

Another possibility would be for Japan to magnanimously agree to Korean sovereignty over Dok Do provided that both Koreas agree not to use it as a base point in boundary negotiations, and provided that the settlement include a caveat that each boundary issue should be decided on its own merits and that this settlement does not establish a precedent regarding any other unresolved maritime claims of either party.

This could mark the opening of a new chapter in Japan-Korea and even Japan-Asia relations. It would also be commensurate with the weight of the evidence, i.e., the Koreas' strong historical claim to Dok Do, Japan's historical acquiescence to South Korea's claim on several occasions, and South Korea's effective control of the features for more than 50 years. A boundary ignoring Dok Do would also be legally logical in that it is arguably not entitled to an EEZ or continental shelf under UNCLOS. Besides removing this nettlesome issue from regional politics, Japan would be demonstrating that it is benign, reasonable, far-sighted and generous, important qualities for a nation that aspires to regional leadership in the 21st Century.

ROK Name-change Proposals Spur Japanese Survey (Apr 2006) In January, Seoul announced that it would conduct a maritime survey in the East Sea, near Korean-controlled Dokdo from July 3 through 17. The current spat occurred when Japan announced on 14 April, a plan to conduct maritime research in waters around Dokdo and notified the International Hydrographic Organization of its plan. Tokyo maintained the survey is needed to match South Korean efforts to map the sea floor and name underwater formations including basins and ridges. Japan's planned survey was apparently motivated by what it perceived as South Korea's intent to register Korean names for submarine features in the area at the International Hydrographic Organization conference as a means to enhance Korea's claim to the area. Japan in response planned to collect bathymetric data to prepare Japanese names as counterproposals.

A Japanese news daily reports quoting a government official in Tokyo that a Korean maritime survey is to enter Japan's exclusive economic zone. But Japan's daily Sankei Shimbun stressed that Korea's planned maritime research would take place in waters between the two countries where their EEZs overlap. The paper also quoted an official with Japan's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry as saying that the research may be related to the naming of a seabed near Dokdo. Japan registered the underwater basin in 1978 as "Tsushima Basin" with the International Hydrographic Organization and Korea is considering proposing its own name, Ulleung Basin.

They had four rounds of negotiations on the issue from 1996 to 2000 with little progress. As a tentative alternative, they signed another agreement in 1998 to operate a joint fishing area near the islets.


Dokdo protected by coast guard ships (Apr 2006)

The South Korean government summoned Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Shotaro Oshima to file an official protest against the planned survey. President Roh Moo-hyun labeled Japan's planned survey as "an offensive provocation" at a dinner with ruling and opposition party leaders at the presidential office and calls for a realignment of the country's "low-key" policy on the issue. A Japanese survey boat departed from Tokyo for Sakaiminata port in Tottori Prefecture, which was expected to serve as its home base during the ship's planned survey of the islets until the end of June. On 19 April, two Japanese survey boats set sail from Sakaiminata port, one at 3:30 p.m. and the other shortly after 5 p.m., putting the South Korean Coast Guard on high alert over a possible attempt to violate South Korean waters.

The waters surround a set of rocky outcroppings -- called Dokdo by Koreans and Takeshima in Japan -- that lie halfway between the countries and are claimed by both. The area is a rich fishing ground and is also believed to have methane hydrate deposits, a potential source of natural gas. The showdown highlighted the rising stakes of rival territorial claims in East Asia, and South Korea's deep-rooted bitterness over Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule. In the latest "showdown" the ROK Coast Guard showed off with their gunboats and the posturing over the "affront" of the Japanese attempting to survey the EEZ that was supposedly agreed to by the ROK as a "joint fishing ground." South Korea's coast guard said it has deployed more than 18 ships, including patrol vessels, near the islets to block the Japanese vessels from entering the EEZ claimed by South Korea."All preparations have been made. We will make sure the Japanese survey vessels do not cross our EEZ, using all available means, including stopping and searching, pushing out and seizing any Japanese vessels," an unidentified official at the coast guard headquarters in Incheon was quoted as saying in a Yonhap report.

According to the Mainichi Times on 22 Apr, "South Korea and Japan defused a tense, high-seas standoff with a compromise that sees Japan withdraw plans to survey disputed waters and South Korea delay efforts to register Korean names for underwater features in the area, officials said. Both countries agreed to hold more talks on demarcating their sea boundaries as early as next month, as part of a deal that wrapped two-straight days of negotiations amid concerns of a possible maritime confrontation."

Seoul had reportedly planned to try to register Korean names for several of the formations at an international ocean-mapping conference to be held in June in Germany. Among the proposals may be a request to change the name of the Sea of Japan, the international acceptance of which Seoul has long considered a colonial vestige. Seoul prefers the moniker East Sea for the body of water separating the countries. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi said Seoul agreed not to submit its name-change proposals at the conference. But South Korea was vague in its agreement with Japan about postponing a proposal for the naming of geographical features in the waters surrounding the disputed Takeshima islets, simply telling negotiators it would seek Korean names "at an appropriate time." (Source: Daily Yomiuri.)

However, later the ROK government said it would re-embark on plans to give Korean names to the seabed in Dokdo waters because that part of maritime territory belongs to Korea. (SITE NOTE: The problem is that Dokdo is considered "disputed" and the ROK claims of it belonging to Korea has NOT been resolved in the World Court -- nor does the ROK want to submit it to litigation.) If Seoul reopens the name-change issue, Yachi on 24 Apr said, "Japan would theoretically have justifiable cause to return to the area to conduct surveys." If Tokyo does retaliate, the conflict would be back where it was previously.

However, the survey was not scrapped -- simply delayed. Japan had initially planned to launch the survey on 20 Apr, but delayed it in response to the South Korean protests. The Japanese government said the intended survey was to investigate the seafloor topography ahead of an international conference related to the appellation of seafloor topography in June. It came in response to South Korea's move to propose naming the seafloor topography of the area in question during the conference. The simple renaming of ocean floor has a deeper purpose as there is no definitive claim to the Dokdo/Takeshima and the claiming of the shelf extending from either Ullengdo (Korea) or Oki (Japan) encompassing the island could prove beneficial in establishing a claim to Dokdo/Takeshima.

In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said, "There is no problem in terms of international law in conducting a scientific maritime survey within our country's exclusive economic zone." Abe, the top government spokesman, repeatedly called for a "level-headed" response by both sides to the matter in accordance with international law, but also said Tokyo intends to go ahead with the planned survey. In other words, the area for the maritime survey is the disputed EEZ area that Japan claims is THEIR territory -- taunting the Koreans to take it to the World Courts. Seoul and Tokyo had several rounds of talks on the issue of an economic sea border from 1996 to 2000 with little progress. In a tentative step, they signed a fisheries agreement in 1998 to share a joint fishing area in their overlapping EEZ. The latest step by Korea to prevent the survey of the seabed lays claim to the disputed area.

Japanese Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs Shotaro Yachi, made an emergency trip to the South Korean capital on 21 Apr to try to break the impasse triggered by Tokyo's plan to send survey ships into the disputed waters. South Korea had vehemently opposed the survey plans and dispatched 20 gunboats to the area, warning that a physical confrontation was possible if Japan proceeded. The talks on Friday were "severe" and "tense" according to Yachi, while South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung-hwan said the two sides "failed to find common ground."

Public outrage has flared in South Korea, where protesters have burned Japanese flags and tried to storm Tokyo's embassy, which was surrounded by police in riot gear. A truck was parked on 22 Apr in front of the downtown hotel where the negotiations were being held, blaring patriotic songs. The vehicle was plastered with signs urging Koreans to boycott Japanese goods and claiming "Dokdo is our territory." (SITE NOTE: Many South Koreans felt the dispute was directly related to the issue of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to Yasukuni Shrine and the government's "misrepresentation of Japan's wartime past.")

Communist North Korea suggested that the two Koreas offer a joint response to Japan's survey plan. Japan has maintained it has the right to conduct the survey under international law, but has kept its two unarmed survey ships out of the waters as both sides sought a diplomatic solution.

It was reported that the Japanese had started the process to take the matter to the World Court for litigation, however, there may be many obstacles ahead as the ROK does NOT want this matter to go before the World Court. It simply says that "Dokdo is Ours." Shizuoka University Prof. Shunji Hiraiwa, who specializes in modern Korea, said, "In this agreement, I see that Japan and South Korea had a hard time settling the issue in a way that could satisfy both countries." He added: "What should be noted is that the two countries agreed to create an opportunity to talk about finalizing the borders of their exclusive economic zones. However, territorial rows are hard to resolve. The administration of South Korean President Roh Moo Hyun tends to link history [under Japanese colonial rule] with Japan-South Korea relations and avoids realistic solutions to problems. Depending on the circumstances, the government should consider such measures as taking negotiations over exclusive economic zones to the World Court."

But it does not provide a permanent tonic for the two sides' long-running territorial row. According to Yonhap News, Japan may push for another maritime survey in South Korean waters anytime after June 30. South Korea's attempt to register its own names for the underwater areas, if undertaken, will certainly face strong opposition from Japan as well. Tougher talks seem to lie ahead for the two nations.

After the stalemate was defused on 22 April, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said that the agreement reached between Japan and South Korea on the dispute over the Takeshima islets came as "a result of efforts by both Japan and South Korea to peacefully settle the problem through clear-headed responses respecting international law." Abe also said, "We shall make efforts to build future-oriented friendly ties with South Korea through dialogue." The Japan Coast Guard issued a statement saying, "Although we decided to suspend a planned survey [of the seabed around Takeshima], we will strive to draw up a proper maritime chart covering the Sea of Japan." A statement issued by Shimane Gov. Nobuyoshi Sumita said, "The series of recent incidents has again shown the world that settling the row over the Takeshima islets is necessary for solving problems we have with South Korea in the Sea of Japan." However, on 25 Apr President Roh's hardline stance ended any talk of "future-oriented friendly ties."

On 25 April 2006, the Japan Today stated that South Korea demanded that Japan immediately drop its plan to conduct a maritime survey near a group of disputed islets in the Sea of Japan, while leaving the door open for bilateral negotiations if the plan is scrapped. "If Japan goes ahead with the survey in South Korea's exclusive economic zone, the government will sternly deal with the matter in accordance with international law and domestic laws," Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Ban Ki Moon said after a security policy meeting convened by President Roh Moo Hyun. "The Japanese government will be held responsible for any consequences that may arise from its actions," he told reporters. Roh convened the meeting of ministers in charge of foreign and security affairs in response to Japan's dispatch of two Japan Coast Guard vessels for the survey near waters of the South-Korean controlled islets, called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, which also claims them.

The National Assembly also passed a resolution on 19 Apr, urging the government to take strong countermeasures that would prevent Japan from conducting the survey within South Korea's EEZ. The resolution, unanimously passed by 241 lawmakers in attendance, demands Japan immediately drop the survey plan.

Dokdo is located some 92 km east of South Korea's Ullung Island and about 157 kilometers northwest of Japan's Oki Islands. South Korea has so far used Ullung Island as the starting point of its EEZ as Dokdo would be still included in the zone. However, Seoul has recently started to consider moving the starting point to Dokdo amid the rising anti-Japanese sentiment in order to thwart the repeated provocations by Tokyo. However, if the EEZ makes Dokdo the "starting point" of the EEZ, Japan could use reefs in the southern part of East Sea/Sea of Japan waters separating the two nations as their "starting point." When taken altogether, the situation could become disadvantageous to the Korean side.

Bilateral relations have deteriorated since a Japanese local assembly in March 2005 approved an ordinance designating Feb 22 as "Takeshima Day" to press Japan's claims to the islets and the waters around them, which are rich in fisheries resources.

Roh Vows to Protect Dokdo At All Costs (Apr 2006) On 25 Apr 2006, President Roh Moo-hyun vowed South Korea would strongly defend Dokdo against Japanese claims, defining Tokyo's "repeated provocation as an act negating this country's complete liberation and independence from its former colonial ruler." In a special statement at Chong Wa Dae, he stressed South Korea would undertake all possible measures to protect Dokdo "whatever the costs and sacrifices may be because it is a matter of no compromise or surrender." ``Dokdo is our land,'' he said in a solemn tone in the nationally televised address. ``It is not only part of our territory but our own soil of a historic significance where 40 years of painful history is engraved vividly. "`Physical provocations will be met with strong and firm response,'' he added in the 10-minute speech. ``We will be incessant in our efforts to debunk the unjust Japanese actions before the world community and the Japanese people.'' (SITE NOTE: It was interesting to note that Roh only spoke of "40 years" of history -- instead of the disputed history which contains conflicting facts and historical maps. The South Korean government is expected to drastically beef up police forces on Dokdo, as well as on its East Sea border, while allowing its nationals greater access to the islets. This is the standard practice of the Roh government when beating the war drums -- putting on a show of force (though only symbolic in nature) and letting the photo-ops to involve the public and press. When criticized for his remarks, Roh instructed his embassies to "explain" the ROK positions on Tokdo -- as though the world would really care.)

Roh announced that Seoul will abandon its "silent diplomacy" on the Dokdo issue - a strategy to ignore Japanese claims to the islets - saying, "The Dokdo problem is not just about protecting our sovereignty over those small islets but about righting past wrongs in relations with Japan and establishing full sovereignty." Roh said Japan, by claiming sovereignty over Dokdo, was "claiming its territorial right over its former colony," which was tantamount to "a denial of Korea's full liberation and independence." The president warned it was a problem "where we can never give up or compromise, no matter what the sacrifice or cost."

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi told journalists after Roh's address he would like to meet with the Korean president. "I would like to deal with this issue in a calm manner on the premise of friendly relations between Korea and Japan," Koizumi said. He reiterated Tokyo's standard response that it wants to view the issue "in its entirety with a comprehensive and future-oriented outlook." "For that reason, it would be good to have a summit" with President Roh, he added. But the ruling Liberal Democratic Party's floor leader in the Diet, Toranosuke Katayama, accused Roh of "biased thinking" and added, "There is talk that he is taking on the issue because his approval rating is dropping, and that is not a good thing." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Critics though were not so complimentary of the hard-line stance. "This is not an issue that can be solved with words. The Dokdo dispute can no longer be issued with temporary measures, so the government must come up with a definite stance on the islets and take step-by-step measures accordingly," said Grand National Party spokesman Rep. Lee Ke-jin. Jin Chang-soo, director of Sejong Institute Japan Center, said "It is questionable whether Roh's remarks will bring any results. It is good that the dialogue will band the people, but appropriate actions must ensue. I also believe the president should refrain from a hard-line diplomatic policy since it would limit our options and harden Japan's position. (Source: Korea Herald.)

There were concerns that the President's remarks might inflame the Japanese people to take on a nationalistic stance about the possession of Dokdo that had not been present in the past. On 28 Apr 2006 the Japanese government adopted a bill amending the basic education law to stress public spirit and Japanese traditions to promote a sense of patriotism. In essence, the rise of nationalism has now become a government priority -- as it prepares to expand its role to "protect its territory" from Russia to the north, China & Taiwan to the south, and Korea to the west.

This would complicate any negotiations on the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) forcing the situation into a head-on collision. However, the most common reaction that the Japanese showed was that Roh's statement was intended to please Koreans -- as expected after the Japanese appeared to come out of the situation with the upper hand. The Japanese media also reported that the Japanese government was expecting the Roh administration to continue toughening its stance, so as to help the ruling party with the local elections coming up in May. (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

BACKGROUND: In May 1996, Japan announced that it would set the EEZ borderline between Ullung Island and Dokdo, using Dokdo as the starting point of Japan's EEZ. But South Korea suggested the EEZ line be drawn between Dokdo and Oki Shoto of Japan with Dokdo as its starting point. A year later, however, Seoul proposed to mark the sea border from Ullung Island with the idea that Dokdo would still be included within the 200-nautical-mile EEZ boundary. The 1997 proposal drew harsh criticism from many South Korean scholars who argued that a country should adopt a part of its territory as the starting point of its EEZ. The ROK and Japan agreed to "jointly use" the EEZ -- but Japanese fishermen claim that they have been crowded out by the ROK fishermen. The EEZ is a contentious area.

Seoul and Tokyo held four rounds of unsuccessful talks between 1996 and 2000 over the demarcation of their EEZs. In May 1996, Japan announced that it would set the EEZ borderline between Ullung Island and Dokdo, using Dokdo as the starting point of Japan's EEZ. But South Korea suggested the EEZ line be drawn between Dokdo and Oki Islands of Japan with Dokdo as its starting point.

A year later, however, Seoul proposed to mark the sea border from Ullung Island with the idea that Dokdo would still be included within the 200-nautical-mile EEZ boundary. The 1997 proposal drew harsh criticism from many South Korean scholars who argued that a country should adopt a part of its territory as the starting point of its EEZ. But other experts have argued that there are numerous other ways to set the border when the length of the waters between two states concerned are shorter than required. The distance between South Korea and Japan is less then 400 nautical miles, making the two neighbors prone to disputes over the exact extent of the EEZ.

However, the Japanese media joined an avalanche of criticism of President Roh Moo-hyun after his televised tirade against Japan's claims to the Dokdo islets. Asahi Shimbun, which is generally liberal in its editorial outlook, said that President Roh was evidently unable to control his rage, interpreting the speech as a signal that there could be no improvement in bilateral relations between Korea and Japan for the rest of his term. The newspaper said that if territorial issues were thrust to the forefront of bilateral relations, the two nations would face a dilemma in addressing other issues. Mainichi Shimbun criticized Mr. Roh for inflexibility, while Yomiuri Shimbun said, "Roh has good reason to leave the matter to the World Court if he is so self-assured about the legitimacy of his country's stand in the dispute." Japan has proposed settling the dispute there twice in the past; those offers were rejected by Seoul. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.) Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso on Friday said President Roh Moo-hyun was making "a mistake" by linking Japan's claims to Korea's Dokdo with the island country's past colonial aggression. "The Dokdo issue is fundamentally a matter of dominion, not a historical matter," Aso told a Japanese House of Representatives Foreign Relations Committee meeting. "To weave our claims (to the island) together with history is a mistake, and I think it is an improper move." (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Korea Grasps at Straws to Prove its Ownership of Tokdo to the World (Apr 2006) According to the Chosun Ilbo on 28 Apr, a 1987 edition of the U.S. Air Force navigation map designates the area around the Dokdo islets as part of the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone. That means Japan needs authorization from Korea's Defense Ministry to enter the zone. The designation is in accordance with the U.S. Pacific Air Force Command established in the early 1950s. Experts say the significance of the finding lies in the fact that it has been practice in the international arena for over half a century. Unfortunately, there is the pragmatic view that the US recognizes that the ROK has physical control of the islet and therefore will publish the area in control of the ROK -- not a justification for ownership as the US recognizes it as a "disputed" area and has done so since the end of WWII negotiations between the US-ROK-Japan. Since no resolution could be reached, the islands were listed as the "Liancourt Rocks" -- NOT Tokdo or Takeshima -- and listed as "disputed."

In the past, the ROK has provided historical accounts that are not corroborated by Japanese historical documents. In addition, many of the Chosun Dynasty maps may be questioned that the island claimed by the ROK as Dokdo is really another island that was 8km from Ullengdo -- not Dokdo which is 92km away. (SITE NOTE: Though we agree that the Dokdo belongs to the ROK, it is based on emotional reasons and not "proof" that we have seen so far. The ROK case looks weaker and weaker as one starts to look at the "proof." )

The National Assembly passed a measure on 1 May setting up a foundation to conduct research and publicize conclusions about the disputed islets of Dokdo, which Japan also claims. The foundation would try to counter alleged distortions in Japanese textbooks.

Japan attempt to Mend Fences Rebuffed (May 2006) Japan`s Senior Vice Foreign Minister Yasuhisa Shiozaki arrived in Seoul on May 1 to meet with Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon to attempt to mend the fences between the country -- and to cool off the situation. However, Ban was quoted as saying that Japan's claim on Dokdo is unacceptable as it is a violation of the Korean sovereignty at the meeting with Shiozaki. Ban was reported to have delivered to Mr. Shiozaki President Roh Moo-hyun's message that since Japan forcefully colonized the islets to wage war with Russia 100 years ago, its claim on Dokdo is as good as denying Korea's complete independence and liberation. The Minister also urged Japanese politicians to withdraw from their stance on Dokdo. (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

Dokdo Resident Propaganda Resurfaces (May 2006) Instead of cooling off the hype, the ROK is heating up the dispute. The first telephone line will be installed for private use in Dokdo, Korea's easternmost islets. KT, a Korean telecom company, announced it will provide wired phone service for Kim Sung-do (66, resident of San 20, Dokdo-ri, Ulleung-eup, Ulleung-gun, North Gyeongsang Province), by sending several KT workers to him when he returns to Dokdo from Ulleungdo, a neighboring island, on May 3. There are six telephone lines and 11 hot lines in Dongdo, where Dokdo security guards are stationed. But Seodo, in which Mr. Kim resides, does not have any phone lines, giving Kim some problems in living there. KT is planning to provide the service without spoiling the islets' natural scenery by wirelessly linking Seodo with Dongdo, whose line is connected to Ulleungdo. (SITE NOTE: The islets appear to be unable to support human habitation without external assistance and arguably have no economic life of their own. Thus it can be argued that these "residences" are artificial -- and not real residences. It is like calling a hunting blind in a forest a "home" -- but in this case it would be classified by some as temporary "fishing huts" no matter how expensive.)

According to the Donga Ilbo, "With the phone, Mr. Kim is now able to make an emergency call as well as to say hello to his relatives. KT says that the phone service will show all over the world that Dokdo belongs to Korea. The last four figures of the phone number will be 1693. KT said the figures are to commemorate the work of Ahn Yong-bok, a Korean fisherman under King Sukjong, in the Joseon Dynasty. In 1693, he went to Japan to claim Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo and block Japanese fishermen from fishing in the Korean waters near Dokdo and Ulleungdo." (Source: Donga Ilbo.) (SITE NOTE: The only problem with the Ahn Yong-bok story is that the Japanese state there is no historical records to support Ahn's story of his visit to Tsushima's lord -- and even Ahn's account is filled with gaping holes...some indicating that he might have been speaking of another island instead of Dokdo.)


Kim Sung-do, who moved into Dokdo with his wife on 19 Feb 2006, examines his 1.3-ton-boat at a port in Ullung-do before sailing it to his new home hours later. (19 Feb 2006)

What is unsaid is that Kim was provided a new boat from "donations" and his home was built with government monies. The government is using Kim as propaganda. On 20 Feb it was announced two of the three Koreans who are registered residents of Dokdo islet, Kim Seong-do and Kim Shin-yeol, moved back home after 10 years. The couple moved to the islet in 1991 and left the islet in 1996 after their house collapsed in a storm and the dock became non-functional. The couple have been living on a neighboring island, Ullung-do, ever since. With its political tension with Japan over Dokdo escalating, the Ministry of Maritime Affaires and Fisheries spent 1.7 billion won ($1.75 million) to build a four-room house and repair the port facilities to lure civilian residents to the islets. The Maritime Ministry has "repaired" the couple's home, and private groups raised funds to buy a new fishing boat for them. The couple will soon have a neighbor in Pyung Bu-kyung, a 55-year-old poet, who plans to move to Dokdo sometime in April. (NOTE: These "residents" are "political pawns" as the ROK allowed people to register as residents to attempt to support their sovereignty case. As far as we know, prior to the 1990s, there were only fishing huts used for temporary shelter by fisherman, but no regular residents because of the lack of fresh water on both Seodo and Dongdo. The outpost on Dongdo is guarded by a lighthouse manned by maritime police and equipped with a helipad. Concrete docks were constructed after the old docks fell into disrepair in the late 1990s.)

For the 31 May elections, the four "residents" -- though there was no publicity of the other two "residents" moving in -- were able to cast absentee ballots along with the 37 security personnel on the islet. Though reserved for military, a special exception was made for the "residents."

On 5 May, the ROK announced that it would create a comprehensive plan for the development of the sensitive area. Under the plan, the government will start exploring submarine mineral resources in 2008, chiefly by drawing up a distribution chart of methane hydrate deposits tipped as a future energy resource and other mineral resources under the sea, and by developing a model to evaluate their economic viability. On top of that, W5 billion will be spent from 2007 on building 60-ton vessels dedicated to patrolling Dokdo. They will replace the current 10-ton boats that cannot sail in bad weather. The government is considering building a small solar power station and wind power station on the islets.

In May it was announced that a group was attempting to form a group of swimmers who would swim 242 km to Dokdo from the ROK mainland to publicize that Dokdo belonged to Korea. The group would be trained by the military to increase their stamina in order to survive the five-day swim to the islet.

At the end of May, the media reported that there were "endangered species" on or around the islet. A government survey found 107 kinds of birds including highly endangered falcons, 49 kinds of plant, 93 kinds of insect, 160 kinds of marine plants and several hundreds of marine invertebrates there. The Environment Ministry announced the findings of an ecological survey carried out between April last year and February 2006. One remarkable finding was a huge population of some 10,000 black-tailed gulls which practically own the islets besides some 600 fork-tailed petrels. Researchers were struck by the abundance of plants not native to the islets. Among the 49 kinds of plants they discovered, 19 originate elsewhere. There were also disappointments. Historical records say that some 30,000-50,000 Steller's sea lions were caught in Dokdo every year during Japanese colonial rule, but researchers found no surviving members of the species. It seems that every group wants to be in on the saving of Dokdo. Now this includes the environmentalists. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Japan Reacts: South Korea Claim "Illegal" (May 2006) On 12 May 2006, the Japanese government repeated its claim over the South Korean-controlled islets of Takeshima/Dokdo, saying Seoul has illegally occupied the islets since 1954. The Cabinet's fresh claim over the islets of Takeshima was made in a reply to House of Representatives politician Muneo Suzuki, who asked for historical and legal information on the islets. "(Japan) established the right to possession of the islets during the middle of the 17th century at the latest," it was stated. The Japanese government has previously claimed that the islets of Takeshima belong to Japan. However, this is apaprently the first time that it has called the South Korean claim to the area illegal. In Seoul, South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry announced a statement saying that it cannot accept Japan's claim over the islets. (Source: Mainichi Daily)

In response, the ROK said on 12 May that it can "never tolerate" the Japanese government's fresh claim over the South Korean-controlled islets of Takeshima, known as Dokdo in Korean, in which it said South Korea has "illegally occupied" the islets since 1954. (SITE NOTE: The danger is that either side might accidentally commit an act of violence in a naval confrontation as the "truce" is only good until 30 Jun 2006.)

ROK to Renew Bid to Rename Seabed (May 2006) The Chosun Ilbo reported on 23 May that the government was preparing to submit ROK names for seafloor features in the Dokdo area to the International Hydrographic Organization. The government decided to resume the project which will again guarantee a flare-up of the previous dispute. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

At that same time, Foreign ministers of Korea and Japan met on 23 May on the sidelines of a regional forum and discussed the lingering territorial dispute between the two countries. Korea's Ban Ki-moon and Japan's Taro Aso were both attending the Asia Cooperation Dialogue conference being held in Doha, Qatar. The ministers sat for one-on-one talks for the first time since the April spat over Japan's planned maritime survey around the disputed Dokdo islets in the East Sea. The two discussed how to resume negotiations on the Exclusive Economic Zone in the waters surrounding the rocky islands that are controlled by Korea but also claimed by Japan. Top diplomats from South Korea and Japan on on 23 May agreed to resume negotiations over their borderline for economic waters on June 12-13 in Tokyo.

On the same date, the Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese daily, reported that the Japanese government had methodically planned its attempted sea survey mission in the "ROK's territorial waters" -- though the Japanese claim it was in the overlapping Exclusive Economic Zone -- in April, which nearly turned into a diplomatic crisis. It quoted a source as saying Tokyo's attempt to send survey ships into the ROK waters was sanctioned by senior government figures. The daily said intra-governmental discussions among high-level Japanese officials regarding the sea survey began last December. Tokyo's Foreign Ministry sent a memo to the Japanese coast guard saying the sea exploration does not breach international laws and that the final decision was up to them. The paper also reports the Japanese government initially expected its Korean counterpart simply to denounce the plan and warn the ships to return. Instead President Roh reacted strongly claiming it was a matter of sovereignty. (Source: Chosun Ilbo.)

Seoul Will Name Dokdo as Starting Line of EEZ (June 2006) The government said on 5 Jun that it would propose Dokdo, the country's easternmost islets in the East Sea, as the starting line of its economic waters, during negotiations with Japan in Tokyo on June 12-13. It is the first time for the two countries to resume the negotiations after they failed to reach an agreement during their last round of talks in 2000. But the talks have remote chance of producing any progress as Japan claims that Dokdo belongs to its own territory and wants to designate it as the starting point of its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

``We have no other way but to claim that Dokdo is the starting point of our economic waters, considering the recent developments, especially the situations last April,'' Seo Joo-seok, the senior presidential secretary for national security, told a KBS radio program. Seo concurrently heads an inter-governmental task force that was formed in May to map out measures to safeguard Dokdo. (Source: Korea Times.)

His remarks were seen as a first confirmation of Seoul's new position on the issue before the forthcoming EEZ talks, which some observers said mark an about-face from South Korea's earlier stance that it would not use Dokdo as its EEZ boundary. But Foreign Ministry officials denied that it represents a shift in the government's position. They say that although South Korea officially proposed the line be drawn between Ulleungdo and Oki Island in previous talks, it has never ruled out setting it between Dokdo and Oki Island. (Source: Joongang Ilbo.)

Japan Coast Guard to Patrol Dokdo in July (June 2006) Donga Ilbo reported on 8 Jun that the Japanese Coast Guard decided to dispatch patrol ships if a maritime research expedition around the ROK's Dokdo islets by Seoul in July infringes on their announced Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). Japan has claimed the ROK's easternmost islets and says that the maritime boundary for their EEZ lays between the Dokdo and Ulleungdo of the ROK. (SITE NOTE: This is an open challenge to the ROK over the use of military might over the disputed maritime area. The last time the ROK dispatched coast guard (maritime police) to the area when the Japanese attempted to conduct a maritime survey in April. The Japanese are doing the same with respect to the ROK intent to conduct a maritime survey. Any incident will certainly have reprecussions -- and possibly elevate the matter into international courts against the ROK will.)

ROK OKs Maritime Survey in July and Showdown Imminent (June-July 2006) On 28 Jun, the ROK government stated its intentions to conduct a maritime survey near Dokdo from July 3 to July 17 as scheduled despite Japan’s objection. A source in the National Oceanographic Research Institute (NORI) said on June 27, “We will conduct a survey on the currents in the waters near Dokdo using the oceanographic vessel No. 2000 (2,500 tons) from July 3 as announced through the navigation notice in January.” The No. 2000 is going to search for the black box of the F-15K fighter, which crashed into the East Sea on June 7, and move to the waters near Dokdo on July 3. (SITE NOTE: NORI used a 2,500-ton probe ship to determine the location of the wreckage then moved onto its survey mission. The ship is equipped with a sonar system which uses electronic detection waves to search deep sea waters. The Air Force continued searching for the black box with an unmanned submarine provided by KT Submarine Ltd., a private firm.)

Japan’s related bureaus such as Cabinet Office and Coast Guard decided to ask Korea to stop its scheduled survey by mobilizing a patrol boat when the oceanographic vessel enters what Japan claims as its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Japan has claimed that the midway line between Dokdo and Ulleungdo is the demarcation line between Korea’s and Japan’s EEZ. According to this claim, Dokdo and the neighboring waters are included in Japan’s EEZ. However, the government’s reported decision not to respond to Japan’s request to stop its examination of currents might cause serious conflicts between Korea and Japan. (Source: Donga Ilbo.)

On 3 Jul South Korea started surveying the sea currents in the East Sea, which included "an inspection" of the waters near the Dokdo islets. The 2,533-ton Haeyang 2000 left the outer port of Pusan with some 30 crew, including nine researchers, to survey the ocean current in the East Sea. The Korean Coast Guard (Maritime Police) decided to escort the Haeyang-2000 from its departure from Busan on July 3 until it completes surveying sea currents as planned. Once Haeyang-2000 approaches Dokdo, escorting guardships will be increased and patrol planes and choppers will stay close for its safety.

Japan warned South Korea that it would respond with ``appropriate actions'' should a South Korean survey ship enters its exclusive economic zone (EEZ). It urged Seoul to scrap the planned survey to avoid a possible high-seas showdown. Japan's chief cabinet secretary Shinzo Abe called on Seoul to stop the survey, saying, ``We again request the South Korean government to make a sensible decision to refrain from carrying out the survey.'' ``If South Korea goes ahead with the survey as planned, we will deal with it appropriately under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and domestic laws,'' he added. Once the ship enters the area claimed by Japan as its EEZ, Japan's Coast Guard will send patrol boats to turn back the South Korean vessel, Japanese officials said.

The ROK contends the survey was purely for scientific purposes aimed at studying sea currents, temperatures and saline density in waters near the islets until July 17. However, to back up the survey, the country's Coast Guard sent two maritime patrol aircraft to Pohang Airport, some 300 kilometers southeast of Seoul, and increased patrols near Dokdo. (Source: Korea Times.)

ROK Survey Ship Enters EEZ After Japan "Warning" (July 2006) The 2,533-ton survey ship Hae Yang 2000 began conducting research 10 Jul and entered Japan's EEZ on 11 Jul in an area about 45 kilometers west-northwest of Takeshima. The ship was being escorted by a South Korean maritime police vessel. A Japan Coast Guard ship radioed the South Korean survey ship, asking it to stop. But the vessel continued, with the crew saying that Japan should not obstruct its research because it is being conducted in South Korea's EEZ

According to the Asahi Shimbun, "In a move that has reignited tensions, South Korea ignored repeated Japanese warnings Wednesday and sent a survey ship into Japan's exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near disputed islets in the Sea of Japan. A South Korean government official said the survey ship entered an area where the two countries' EEZs overlap around 6:40 a.m. The area includes the disputed islets known as Takeshima in Japan and Tokto in South Korea."

Japan's Foreign Ministry expressed concern and reiterated its demand that South Korea stop the survey. "It is highly regrettable that (South Korea) went ahead with its maritime survey despite our government's repeated call for a halt or putting it off. We demand an immediate halt," Foreign Ministry spokesman Yoshinori Katori said in a statement. He added that Japan will carry out its own maritime survey "at an appropriate time," reversing the government's previous stance. (SITE NOTE: The Japanese also stated that it would have maritime protection if it did so -- meaning that there is the potential of a military face-off.) Japan had planned to dispatch survey vessels to the same area near Takeshima in April, but South Korea angrily oppose d. Tokyo decided to put off its maritime research based on an agreement reached during vice foreign ministerial talks that eased, at least temporarily, the friction over the disputed territory. (Source: Asahi Shimbun.)

Japan to Conduct Survey in Tokdo Area (Aug 2006) Kyodo News reported that Japan has told the ROK it will conduct a radioactive waste survey from late August to early September in waters near two disputed islets in the Sea of Japan, a Japanese Foreign Ministry source said Wednesday. The Japan Coast Guard will conduct the survey to examine the effects of radioactive waste dumped in waters near Vladivostok in Russia's Far Eastern region by the former Soviet Union. One or two of the sites to be covered in the survey are in the ROK-claimed EEZ, the source added. Japan started regular surveys on radiation contamination on the sea in 1995. Tokyo has conducted the radiation surveys in the East Sea every year since Russia revealed that a nuclear submarine dumped nuclear waste near Vladivostok in 1993.

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon told reporters Japan would need permission if it wants to conduct a survey within Korea’s exclusive economic zone. But that is disputed as the survey area also is claimed by Japan. Another round of territorial squabbling is expected if Tokyo ignores the demand reasoning that waters near Dokdo are part of its EEZ -- which it does. The two countries clashed diplomatically in July, when Korea pushed ahead with its own sea current survey in the same region. Ban went to Japan to meet with the Japanese over a multitude of issues including Tokdo in Aug 2006. The two countries were scheduled in Sep 2006 to discuss demarcation of their EEZ boundaries.

The Korea Coast Guard on 15 Aug said it planned to reinforce its patrols in the disputed waters of the East Sea, which Korea shares with Japan. The national maritime police agency said it would provide more ships, fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to defend against any "hostile movements from Japan." "We need to strengthen the police force on an everyday basis to secure Korea's maritime sovereignty," an official at the maritime police agency said.

The Korea Coast Guard said it has only one aircraft deployed in the area compared to Japan's 29. Korea has 22 helicopters while Japan has 46. Korea has 22 large warships, and 39 mid-size warships compared to Japan's 54 and 62. Korea is planning to purchase eight more warships and 11 aircraft by 2010. The Ministry of Planning and Budget said it has received the Coast Guard's annual budget plan. The maritime police agency has budgeted 687.6 billion won ($721 million) for 2007, and 965.9 billion won, 974.9 billion won and 996 billion won for 2008, 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Korean Map with Tokdo and East Sea for Publicity (Aug 2006) On 13 Aug the ROK government plans to distribute a world map naming the waters between the Korean Peninsula and Japan as the 'East Sea,' and a set of South Korea-controlled islets over which Japan also claims sovereignty as 'Dokdo.' The map, which will be distributed worldwide, is the first government-produced world map in both Korean and English, said the officials at the National Geographic Information Institute (NGII), which falls under the construction ministry. "Through consultations with related ministries, we produced the map on the occasion of the 61st anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule (1910-45) on Aug. 15," an NGII official said.

The 110 centimeter by 160 cm map was drawn on a scale of 1:2,800,000 using Mercator's projection, with the Korean Peninsula located at its center. The locations of Korea's two polar research institutes are also marked. The map provides information on time differences by region, as well as air and sea routes used by South Korean airlines and shipping companies. The NGII is using the map to promote the country's sovereignty over the rocky outcroppings.

ROK-Japan Meeting over EEZ Unfruitful (Sep 2006) The Sept meeting of the ROK and Japan over the EEZ ended in a deadlock with nothing resolved. The Japanese announcement that it would launch a scientific mission to test for radiation in the waters -- that it has conducted since 1992 after a Soviet admission that it dumped nuclear reactors in the sea -- was protested by the ROK and also remains a bone of contention. The exact date of the Japanese test had not been announced as of Sept.

Joint Survey agreed Upon instead of Japan Radioactive Survey (Sep 2006) Bloomberg on 11 Sep 2006 reported that the ROK and Japan agreed to conduct a joint survey around a group of disputed islands that lie between the two nations. The ROK approved Japan's request to conduct a survey on the impact of radioactive waste dumped by the former Soviet Union between the 1950s and 1990s off its eastern port of Vladivostok, the ROK's Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ``South Korea and Japan held working-level talks on Sept. 8 and agreed in principle to conduct a joint survey on radioactive pollution in the East Sea,'' a reference to the waters between the two nations, the ministry said in a statement e-mailed late on Sept. 8.

FINALLY -- a Reasonable JOINT Solution (Oct 2006) On 8 Oct South Korea and Japan on Saturday began a weeklong JOINT ocean survey of radioactivity in the East Sea. The eight-day survey is in line with an earlier agreement between the two countries to jointly survey the level of radioactive waste dumped by the former Soviet Union between the 1960s and the 1990s. It was the first such survey conducted in the area since 1994-95 with the help of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency. A Korean research ship, Tamgu No. 1, which belongs to the National Fisheries Research and Development Institute, left the southern port of Busan in the afternoon with three Japanese scientists aboard. Three South Korean scientists also boarded a Japanese coast guard survey vessel, the Kaiyo, which left Japan's southwestern port of Moji the same day, said officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. One IAEA official boarded each of the two research ships to help the project, they said.

The two ships will collect samples of seawater and undersea soil in six spots, including areas near the South Korean islets of Dokdo, and share collected data, the officials said. The nearest point to the islets where the survey will be conducted is about 40 nautical miles away, they said. The location of the survey is sensitive, because the two countries are in conflict over where to draw their exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the area. South Korea currently controls the islets by keeping a police detachment there.

The survey was agreed at a working level meeting last month after their vice ministers held intense talks over Seoul's protest at Tokyo's original plan to conduct the survey alone in the disputed waters this year. Japan has been surveying the effects of radioactive waste dumped by the former Soviet Union near Vladivostok since 1993. Japan, South Korea and Russia conducted joint surveys in 1994 and 1995. (Source: Korea Herald.)

Tokyo Allegedly Admits Knowledge of Document (Nov 2006) On 20 Nov 2006, Yonhap News reported that the Japanese government, in an unprecedented move, has acknowledged the existence of a 19th-century document that could prove Japan's longstanding claim over Dokdo, a set of South Korean islets, to be groundless. In a recent letter to Yonhap News Agency, Japan's Foreign Ministry said it was aware of an 1877 document sent by the Japanese Cabinet to other government offices as an official instruction. The document describes Dokdo and nearby Ulleungdo as not being part of Japan, and says the islands should not be included in its territory on official maps.

It apparently undermines a claim by Japan's government and scholars that Dokdo historically belongs to the island country. Contrary to the contents of the document, Japan has long maintained that the country effectively controlled the territory from ancient times and it reaffirmed its ownership in 1905 through a decree by Shimane Prefecture.

Responding to Yonhap's latest written inquiry sent to Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso, however, the ministry said it knows about the existence of the document drawn up by the Japanese government body called "Daijokan" in Japanese and "Taejeonggwan" in Korean. But it refused to comment further, saying a related investigation and analysis is under way. It is the first time for the Japanese government to officially recognize the document itself. Historians here said it would damage Japan's decades-old campaign to justify its claim to Dokdo. "The Taejeonggwan note is a decisive document to support South Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo, and for Japan it is like an Achilles' heel," Lee Suk-woo, professor of international law at South Korea's Inha University. A Japanese-born scholar, who asked not to be named, said that the document shows Japan ignored the official government document and carried out the imperialistic act of declaring its ownership in 1905. "But Japan may try to fabricate related facts," he said. (Source: Yonhap News.)

---

---

---