Japan Strengthens Dokdo Sovereignty Promotion..Foreign Ministry: "Firm Territorial Sovereignty..Will Respond Resolutely"

Japanese Government Allocates 2.7 Billion Won Budget for Sovereignty Promotion Including Dokdo
Ministry of Foreign Affairs "Aware of Related Trends... Will Respond Firmly"

On the 11th, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated regarding Japan's territorial claims over Dokdo and its efforts to strengthen related publicity reported by Japanese foreign media, “We are firmly responding to any provocations such as Japan's unjust territorial claims.”

They also clearly stated their position that “under the stance that Dokdo is our inherent territory, clearly established historically, geographically, and under international law, we are exercising firm territorial sovereignty over Dokdo.”

The Japanese government allocated about 300 million yen (2.7 billion KRW) in next year’s budget for publicity expenses related to territorial claims over Dokdo, the Senkaku Islands (Chinese name Diaoyu Islands), and the four southern islands of the Kuril Islands known as the Northern Territories. This view was also included in this year’s Diplomatic Bluebook and Defense Whitepaper.

Despite improving Korea-Japan relations, Japan has not softened its existing claim that Dokdo is its territory from the perspective of international law, so tensions in Korea-Japan relations are expected to rise again. Whenever Japan asserts territorial claims over Dokdo, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summons officials from the Japanese Embassy in Korea to protest, but there has been no clear change in Japan’s stance.

While some view Japan’s territorial claims over Dokdo as an “annual event,” there is also criticism that the Korean government is being passive in responding to historical distortion. The government has significantly cut the budget for Dokdo protection and for responding to Japan’s historical distortion in the next year’s budget. According to the “2024 Northeast Asia History Foundation Support Project Budget Status” disclosed by Assemblyman An Min-seok of the National Assembly’s Education Committee on the 3rd, the Northeast Asia History Foundation’s budget for research projects responding to Japan’s historical distortion decreased by 73.6% (1.492 billion KRW), from 2.028 billion KRW this year to 536 million KRW next year.

President Yoon Suk-yeol has shown proactive “generous concessions” in diplomacy with Japan, such as compensation for forced labor victims, withdrawal of the World Trade Organization (WTO) complaint against Japan’s export restrictions, and acceptance of the Fukushima contaminated water discharge. However, he has not been able to obtain visible cooperation from Japan on the issue of historical distortion. Although the trilateral cooperation among Korea, the United States, and Japan has been strengthened with North Korea and China as common adversaries, the lingering issue of historical distortion in Korea-Japan relations is increasing instability in the trilateral cooperation.

The opposition party has intensified its criticism. On the same day, Kwon Chil-seung, the senior spokesperson of the Democratic Party, said in a briefing, “Japan has stepped up its publicity activities claiming that Dokdo is ‘Takeshima,’ and this is because the Yoon Suk-yeol government has allowed the dumping of Fukushima nuclear contaminated water, so Japan is now coveting territorial rights over Dokdo as well.” He criticized, “It would not be surprising if the Japanese government appoints the Yoon Suk-yeol government as ‘Honorary Citizens of Japan’ or ‘Honorary Ambassadors of Japan.’”

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