IOC, Which Asked to Exclude Dokdo During Pyeongchang, Remains Silent Despite Japan's Unreasonable Claim That "Dokdo Is Japanese Territory"

On February 4th, a pedestrian wearing a mask passes in front of the Olympic logo in Tokyo. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Intern Reporter Park Hyun-joo] With the Tokyo Olympics just a month away, Japan has labeled Dokdo as its territory on the official Tokyo Olympics website and has not corrected it, prompting South Korea to urge the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to mediate. The IOC has yet to issue any official statement.

According to major foreign media on the 2nd (local time), the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee sent a letter to the IOC the previous day, requesting active mediation regarding the territorial dispute over Dokdo. Kim Bo-young, head of public relations at the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, emphasized in an interview with the press that "Dokdo is Korean territory," and explained the reason for sending the letter, saying, "Political neutrality must be guaranteed in the Olympics. Japan's actions are politically motivated, and we believe those actions go against the spirit of the Olympics."

However, Japan has not changed its stance that Dokdo is its territory. On the same day, Kato Katsunobu, Chief Cabinet Secretary and spokesperson for the Japanese government, stated at a press conference, "Takeshima (the Japanese name for Dokdo) is Japanese territory based on historical facts and international law," and added, "We absolutely cannot accept South Korea's protest."

Earlier, the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee sparked controversy by marking Dokdo as a tiny dot on a map of Japan showing the torch relay route, as if Dokdo were Japanese territory.

Meanwhile, on the 1st, Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University criticized on Facebook, "(After protesting the Dokdo labeling,) the IOC appeared to back down by providing the Tokyo Olympic Organizing Committee's email address and telling us to inquire with the Japanese side."

He continued, "(The IOC) strongly recommended removing Dokdo from the Korean Peninsula flag during the PyeongChang Olympics, but now, during the Tokyo Olympics, it is consistently showing a biased attitude by not saying anything to Japan," he sharply criticized.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.