'Koreans should study Dokdo history' .jpg) | | Nah Hong-ju, former chairman of the Dokdo Research and Studies Society and a co-chairman of the Dokdo Protection Headquarters |
By Lee Min-hyung
Koreans need to brush up on the history of the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo to better handle Japan's absurd claim to the rocky islets, according to a Dokdo researcher.
Nah Hong-ju, the former chairman of the Dokdo Research and Studies Society and a co-chairman of the Dokdo Protection Headquarters, said Tokyo is always bringing the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in an attempt to spark intentional attention to its claim.
"Koreans should make more efforts to publicize the truth around the world. The first step toward that end is to study history to better understand why Dokdo belongs to Korea," the 82-year-old Nah said in a recent interview.
The ownership of the Dokdo islets, lying in the waters between Korea and Japan, has long been a source of contention between the two countries. Japan claims sovereignty over the islets and suggests that the issue be submitted to the ICJ for resolution.
Nah said Dokdo scholar Chung Tae-man recently found critical evidence that proves Seoul's sovereignty over Dokdo.
"When Chung was writing his doctoral dissertation this year, he found an old map on a Japanese website. The map was used by the Japanese government after World War II and clearly indicated that Dokdo belongs to Korea."
Japan used the map, drawn in 1951, when it signed a peace treaty with the Allied forces in San Francisco, Calif. after its defeat in World War II.
"This is the latest and most critical evidence to support that the islets are part of Korea's territory," he said.
The evidence found by Chung is also part of the history of Dokdo, according to Nah.
Some experts have insisted that Korea should turn a deaf ear to Japan's claims about Dokdo, arguing that responding to Japan will only spark international controversy, which is what the neighboring country wants.
But Nah disagreed. "Maintaining a lukewarm attitude will only bring negative effects not just to the current generation but to our descendants and will not help the nation's mission to protect the islets," he said.
He insisted that the public make joint efforts to hand down peaceful Korea-Japan relations to the next generation.
He also suggested building a seawall around Dokdo, citing the need to make a calm water zone for fishermen and tourists.
"The waves are too high around the islets, making it hard for ships to dock. Some 2,000 tourists visit Dokdo everyday by passenger ships. For the safety of the fishermen and tourists, it is necessary to build a seawall around the islets," he said.
impression : Read this article, I know some reason why Japan claims that Dokdo is called their land. Also, I know that how can our citizens recognize it and should be what to do.
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