3RD LD: Seoul demands Tokyo cancel survey near disputed islets (ominous prelude)

(Kyodo) _ (EDS: ADDING QUOTES FROM S. KOREAN FOREIGN AND TRADE MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, VICE MINISTER) South Korea on Friday demanded that Japan cancel a planned maritime survey near South Korean-administered islets called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

"Japan will have to immediately retract its illicit plan masquerading as a survey," Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu Ho said in a statement, according to Yonhap News Agency.

Choo said South Korea will take all necessary measures against a premeditated provocation by Japan, and that "Japan should take full responsibility for its results."

South Korean Vice Foreign Minister Yu Myung Hwan delivered a similar demand, later dismissed by Tokyo though, to Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Shotaro Oshima earlier in the day at the ministry, according to the Japanese Embassy in Seoul.

The Japanese government posted a public notice earlier Friday about its plan to send a survey vessel from the Japan Coast Guard to conduct maritime surveys in the Sea of Japan, which South Korea calls the East Sea. ADVERTISEMENT

Yu told Oshima that South Korea demands an immediate halt to the survey, saying the survey area includes South Korea's Exclusive Economic Zone, embassy officials said.

"Any research work in South Korea's EEZ without its approval is an illegal transgression...If Japan pushes forward with the plan, South Korea will use all possible means to block it," Yonhap later quoted Yu as telling the ambassador.

In response, the Japanese envoy told Yu the survey will be conducted within Japan's EEZ without violating international maritime law, and called for a "cool-headed" response to the issue, according to the embassy officials.

Oshima added that Japan cannot accept any South Korean action against an official Japanese vessel.

"It is very unfortunate to see Japan planning (such surveys) at a time when (South) Korea-Japan relations remain strained," said a South Korean official on condition of anonymity.

At his official residence in Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said, "I understand that it is within Japan's EEZ. Both sides should deal with the matter in a cool-headed manner."

Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe, the Japanese government's top spokesman, said any South Korean action against the survey would be "unacceptable," as Tokyo believes its plan "poses no problems in light of international law."

Relations between Japan and South Korea have deteriorated since the prefectural assembly of Shimane, western Japan, passed an ordinance March 16 last year designating Feb. 22 as "Takeshima Day."

The Shimane government says the ordinance was intended to raise awareness among the Japanese public about the Feb. 22, 1905, issuance of a prefectural notice that declared the islets part of Shimane.

S. Korea's relationship with U.S. has deteriorated recently while Japan's has got stronger. This development gave an window of opportunity for Japan to make a move on its claim on Dokdo(aka Takeshima.) Apparently, Japan is provoking S. Korean government. If S. Korean government does not successfully fend off this move, it will be lethal blow to already tottering government deep in various political problems.

S. Korean pinko gov. wants to talk loud and tough, doing frequent verbal grandstanding to score domestic political points, but many dumb moves in foreign policy have created some serious problems, silently festering below the surface. Now one of them is coming to surface.

I would like to say Japan has right to survey her territory.
Takeshima belongs to Japan.
There are a lot of evidence for it, and
please let me show you quotes from FRUS or "Foreign Relations of the United States", ( please see http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus.jpg )
the US internal documents which seem to have been recorded in
the process of making peace treaty among nations including United States & related nations,Japan after world war II.

A. Quote from the FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1949, VOLUME VII, on page 900
"Article 6: Recommend reconsideration Liancourt Rocks (TAKESHIMA).
Japan's claim to these islands is old and appears valid"
( Please see picture of this quote
http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus1949-2.gif
Please also see on page 898-
http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus1949.gif
)

B. Quote from the FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1950, VOLUME VI, on page 1328
"3. Territory"
(omit)
"It is thought that the islands of Inland Sea, Oki Retto,Sado,
Okujiri,Rebun,Riishiri,Tsushima, TAKESHIMA, The Goto Archipelago,
the northernmost Ryukyus, and the Izu, all long recongnized as Japanese,
would be retained by Japan. "
( please see picture of this quote
http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus-undated2.gif
please see also
http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus-undated.gif
)

C. Quote from the FOREIGN RELATIONS, 1951, VOLUME VI, note at the bottom of page 1203
"
In the document cited in footnote 2 above, Mr. Rusk continued:
as regards the island of Dokto ... this normally uninhabited rock formation was according to our information never treated as part of Korea and, since about 1905, has been under the jurisdiction of the Oki Islands Branch Office of Shimane Prefecture of Japan. The island does not appear ever before to have been claimed by Korea.
"
(please see picture of this quote
http://www.geocities.jp/tanaka_kunitaka/takeshima/frus1951.gif
)

Basically Japanese pepole do want to resolve this torouble peacefully under the international law. Japanese government has proposed to South Korea to resolve it in
the international court room for long time.
But South Korea has refused it.

If Japan can't survey her own territory because of the Korea's strong attitude
with the threat of using military force, where is Japan's sovereignty ?
In the international relationship, is threat of military power everything ?
Is it Japan's attitude that is to be blamed if war happens as Korea insists ?
Are really Japan threatening the peace in the region of east Asia even if she has proposed talk in the international court room many time ?

Korea has conducted survey in the region in question four times without
consent of Japan.
Only from this fact, I'm sure that Korea has violated international rule
and is to be blamed.

And please keep it in mind that Korea has refused to resolve
this issue under the international law even though Japan does hope and has proposed many time.

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