Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo and Provincial Assembly Speaker Bae Han-cheol Condemn Japanese Foreign Minister's 'Dokdo Remarks'

Gyeongbuk Province strongly protested on the 30th against the repeated unjust territorial claims made by the Japanese Foreign Minister regarding Dokdo, which is Korean territory under the jurisdiction of Gyeongbuk Province, during his speech at the National Assembly, and urged the immediate withdrawal of Japan's annual baseless claims to sovereignty over Dokdo.

On the 30th, Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko made another unjust claim based on distorted territorial perceptions about Dokdo, which is clearly Korean territory by history, geography, and international law, during her diplomatic speech at the regular session of the National Assembly.

Lee Cheol-woo, Governor of Gyeongbuk Province.

In response, Gyeongbuk Governor Lee Cheol-woo declared in a statement, “We demand the immediate withdrawal of the Japanese Foreign Minister’s annual baseless claims to sovereignty over Dokdo, and as the governor responsible for Dokdo, I will firmly respond together with all residents of the province against this clear provocative act that threatens the establishment of a future-oriented cooperative relationship.”

Governor Lee also urged, “Japan should abandon its repeated historical distortions and illegal attempts to seize Dokdo, fulfill its historical responsibility to restore a future-oriented and mutually prosperous relationship, and take the lead in decisions for world peace.”

The Gyeongbuk Provincial Council also strongly protested Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko’s repeated unjust claims to sovereignty over Dokdo in her diplomatic speech at the Japanese regular National Assembly session and issued a condemnation statement urging immediate withdrawal.

Japan repeats fabricated claims to sovereignty over Dokdo, which is clearly Korean territory by history, geography, and international law, every year through statements by the Foreign Minister in the National Assembly in January, textbook approvals in March, diplomatic white papers in May, and defense white papers in July. In particular, the Japanese Foreign Minister’s outrageous remarks about Dokdo in the National Assembly have continued for 11 years since 2014.

Through the condemnation statement, Bae Han-cheol, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, clearly stated, “As the chairman responsible for Dokdo, I will firmly respond together with 2.6 million residents of the province against Japan’s claims to sovereignty over Dokdo, which are clear acts of sovereignty infringement.”

Bae Han-cheol, Chairman of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council.

Heo Bok, Chair of the Special Committee for the Protection of Dokdo in the Gyeongbuk Provincial Council, also urged, “Even if the Japanese Foreign Minister is replaced, we condemn the repeated historical distortions and provocations against Dokdo, and call for Japan to have a proper historical understanding and participate in restoring sound cooperative relations between the two countries and building world peace.”

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