South Korea reacts strongly to Japanese Prime Minister Noda’s recent comment on the Dokdo islands; Diplomatic row between South Korea and Japan aggravates further; South Korean plan to conduct Dokdo defense drills next month might get delayed
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  • According to reports, while reacting strongly to Japanese Prime Minister Noda’s recent comment on the South occupying the Takeshima/Dokdo Islands illegally by force, Seoul has demanded the former to withdraw his comment immediately. While reiterating South Korea’s own sovereignty over those disputed islands, the South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry spokesperson Cho Tai Young opined that instead of reiterating its unjust claims over the Dokdo islets, Japan should make efforts to develop future-oriented relations between the two countries, based on a correct understanding of history. 1

    In the meantime, the diplomatic row between South Korea and Japan has reached a new height. South Korean government has recently retuned an official letter from Japanese Prime Minister Noda to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak. In the letter, Noda expressed regret over Lee’s recent controversial visit to the disputed Dokdo/Takeshima islands and his demand for an apology from the Japanese Emperor to the South Koreans who suffered during the Japanese colonial rule in Korea. As South Korea’s return of the letter runs completely counter to diplomatic protocol, this development might further strain the bilateral relationship. 2

    In other developments, according to reports, the South Korean military’s plan to carryout a regular military exercises near the waters of the Dokdo islands early next month might be delayed due to the ongoing dispute between South Korea and Japan over those disputed territories. The South Korean Defense Ministry however is of the view that the biannual military exercise should be conducted as planned just to demonstrate Seoul’s determination to defend Dokdo as part of its territory. 3

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