Cheong, to Japan raising Dokdo issue: "Dokdo is clearly Korean territory by history, geography, and international law"

The view of Cheongwadae from Namsan, Seoul on the 11th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Ji-eun] On the 17th (local time), during the Korea-US-Japan Deputy Foreign Ministers' meeting held in the United States, regarding Japan's refusal to attend the joint press conference due to Police Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong's visit to Dokdo, the Blue House stated, "Dokdo is clearly our territory."

A Blue House official responded to related questions from the press on the afternoon of the 18th, saying, "We reiterate once again that Dokdo is clearly our territory historically, geographically, and under international law," and added, "If it is true that they did not attend for that reason, it is very unusual."

Earlier, Choi Jong-geon, the First Vice Foreign Minister, had revealed that the Japanese side notified them of their non-attendance at the press conference due to Commissioner Kim's visit to Dokdo. However, the Blue House refrained from giving detailed answers regarding the specific matter related to Vice Minister Choi's remarks, stating, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide a detailed response."

Regarding the criticism that Air Force Legal Office Chief Jeon Ik-su, who was awarded the Samjeonggeom by President Moon on the 16th, was responsible for the inadequate investigation of the 'Air Force female sergeant sexual harassment case,' the Blue House said, "The Samjeonggeom awarding ceremony is usually held in January or February for generals whose promotions have been announced, but this year it was held in November due to COVID-19," and added, "The general (Jeon) was properly promoted on January 1st this year and attended the Samjeonggeom awarding ceremony."

They explained that the ceremony was delayed, but the awarding of the Samjeonggeom to the promoted officer followed the usual custom. Regarding the recording that surfaced, suggesting that Chief Jeon directed an investigation without detention of the perpetrator from the early stages of the case, the Blue House responded, "Verification of the facts comes first."

In relation to this, when asked about the President's stance on the Air Force female sergeant's father starting a one-person protest in front of the Blue House demanding a 'meeting with the President' from that day, a Blue House official said, "There has been no special comment on this matter, and there is no particular stance."

Regarding the ruling party's continuous criticism of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Hong Nam-ki, including calls for a 'state audit' and 'dismantling of the Ministry of Economy and Finance,' and whether the Blue House needs to clarify its position, the official replied, "As the presidential election intensifies, candidates from both ruling and opposition parties, as well as various political parties, are putting forward various claims, opinions, and proposals, but it is not appropriate for the Blue House to comment on each of these individually."

Meanwhile, President Moon, in response to the daily confirmed COVID-19 cases exceeding 3,000, urged at a staff meeting to operate the quarantine and medical systems flawlessly. When asked whether the plan for the 'Dialogue with the People' scheduled for the 21st would be changed, a Blue House official said, "As of now, it is planned to proceed as scheduled."

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