EDITORIAL: Takeshima issue
2008/7/16
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South Korea has reacted with outrage to the education ministry's decision to refer to the disputed Takeshima islets as Japanese territory. It is the first such mention in the ministry's manual for junior high school teachers.
The Takeshima islets, called Tokto by South Koreans, lie in the Sea of Japan. The territorial dispute has been a persistent thorn in bilateral diplomacy.
On Monday, Seoul summoned the Japanese ambassador to South Korea and lodged a protest. In addition, a group of South Korean lawmakers flew by helicopter to Takeshima as a mark of protest against Tokyo.
For South Koreans, Takeshima is far more than just a territorial issue. It is a symbol of Japan's past colonial rule of the Korean people. The islands were incorporated into Japan's Shimane Prefecture in 1905. That same year, Japan divested Korea of its diplomatic rights in prelude to the annexation of the Korean Peninsula.
"Tokto, our land" is a South Korean song taught to all children to inculcate patriotism. The issue of ownership is essential to South Korean nationalism.
Three years ago, the Shimane prefectural government created "Takeshima Day" by ordinance to commemorate the centenary of the islands' subsumption. South Korea's vehement protest is still fresh in many people's memories. (205 words)
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