The Joongang is reporting that the Japanese government had made detailed maps of Dodko(pic below), and that the Korean government isn’t doing anything about the matter.
According to the Joongnag, the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport used the ALOS(Advanced Land Observation Satellite) and American satellite data to survey Dokdo and produce detailed 1/25,000 scale maps of Dokdo. These maps reportedly went on sale in Japan as of Dec. 1, 2007. The Joongang notes that this is the first time that the Japanese produced detailed maps of Dokdo, since they were not able to survey the islands, until now. It also notes that the map did not mark any artificial structures that are currently on Dokdo, implying that the Japanese does not recognize Dokdo as Korean.
The MOFAT is taking the “so, what?” position with one anonymous official commenting that”the Japanese claiming that Dokdo is theirs isn’t anything new, that the Japanese have done worse things, it’s not like they are making the map of Dokdo for the first time, and that there is no need for new investigation or action.” An anonymous official in the Maritime Law Section of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries simply stated that “it’s the first time he/she had heard of the matter.” Well, it seems like LMB’s declaration regarding future relations with Japan is already seeping into the bureaucracy.
Of course some Koreans aren’t too happy with the matter. One professor interviewed stated that “the Japanese deliberately did this during the election period so as not to draw attention to the matter.” Another professor said that “this is a clear violation of Korean sovereignity and that government inaction will give the impression that the Korean government is recognizing the illegal Japanese action.” He also added that the “government should summon the Japanese ambassador and request an explanation plus an end to the issue of the maps.”
This article is generating a lot of interest among Korean netizens with 2846 comments posted so far in Naver.
From a previous post we know that LMB intends to pursue a more “mature” relationship with Japan. But the reality is we’re going to see a lot of this during his 5 year term. It’ll be interesting to see if he keeps to his original path or gives in to temptation.
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“It’ll be interesting to see if he keeps to his original path or gives in to temptation.”
My guess is that he will be tempted on occasion.
If history is any guide, the people will love him for 1-2 years, be ambivalent for 1-2 years, and then hate his guts at the end. Look for the anti-Japan rhetoric to be pulled out near the end to deflect criticism.
It is refreshing to see bureaucracy here taking a more mature approach. The professor’s quote is more what I would have expected. Is it a violation of sovereignty to make a map based on satellite data?
I wonder if LMD’s attitude toward Japan has something to do with the fact that he was born in Osaka.
And before any ‘uri nara’ people jump down my throat about this, I will make clear that I agree that Dokdo is Korean, I just find the gross over-reactions to be embarrassing. It is refreshing to see someone headed for office who wants to just get along with Japan.
Whoops– make that LMB.
will this ever stop?
I blame India.
I blame America. If the Yanks hadn’t divided Korea and Japan this wouldn’t be an issue.
I wonder what’s “illegal” about mapping.
Hmm. So the waenom made some maps from satellites. One of these satellites was American. So yeah, what’s illegal about it, again? And if the Japanese violated Korean sovereignty by using a satellite to make a map, so did the US. This sounds more like a Nork talking than anything else. Google Maps also violates national sovereignty!
What is Korea going to “do” about it? Shoot them down? Demand another apology? Kudos to 2MB for not continuing to embarrass SK internationally by not acting like a petulant child.
I was excited about Roh at the beginning, but we all know how that ended up. Now, let’s see if SK can get a president who can being and end on positive notes. Somehow, I don’t think it can be done. But if he gets the economy going in some concrete ways, or builds more pretty structures, maybe dumb netizens and nutty professors will all drink a big cup of STFU.
Because their petty politics and whining really hasn’t gotten the country anywhere.
I’ll be looking for protest booths with big copies of this map with the usual banners during my next visit to Seoul Station.
Koreans can’t survive without whining about something, it’s in their genome….
#10
Oh c’mon… Do we really need to stereotype here?
Koreans can’t survive without whining about something, it’s in their genome….
That’s rich. Because expats love to whine about Korea, including whining about Koreans whining. It’s a big circle of whine.
We’d do everyone a favour is we just ignored the people who say “Koreans are all the same” and “expats all patch things on to their rucksacks”. But thanks to each for being easy tinder for the angry parties at the other pole.
They say whine, in moderation, is good for you.
Wait. If. S and F were similar in 17th century script, as my defense.
True, NK, expats do get influenced by their surroundings. As they say, Korea land of whine n’ dine!
lol… whining is now exclusively Korean now? (and apparently genetically, according to someone up there)… love how a lot of blog posts here turn out to be recently.
Well, since my genetic information is commanding me so, “whine, moan, bitch.”
It is a distant possibility. Korea, by the end of this year, will have its own satellite launcher(albeit with Russian help) and it can produce its own satellites. So, it won’t take much of a technical leap for Korea to produce and deploy a satellite kill vehicle. Of course all this depends on whether a S. Korean government has the political will to face the consequences of shooting down a Japanese civilian satellite.
On the other hand, if a S. Korean government cannot stomach the consequences of a shootdown, but still wants to do something, it can use lasers to blind the cameras on the Japanese satellite.
Not that I’m advocating any of the actions mentioned above.
Pay no attention to our newest troll, #10.
” Another professor said that “this is a clear violation of Korean sovereignity and that government inaction will give the impression that the Korean government is recognizing the illegal Japanese action.” He also added that the “government should summon the Japanese ambassador and request an explanation plus an end to the issue of the maps.””
I recently saw at the bookstore a map of the world published by a Korean company…I wonder what that means.
Most, if not all, of the maps I’ve seen here in Sydney (more specifically, a Borders superstore in Chatswood and a Dymocks store on George St) mark Dokdo as “Tokto” along with the East Sea in parenthesis.
imo, it’s the Japanese that should be “worried.”
The best thing to do for Korea is to totally ignore Japan. Don’t give a flying F** about what they do. Instead Korea should open up and liberalize the economy, make free trade with the US, Europe, and Canada. Open up the imports from those countries, and give favorable terms with those countries. Just ignore Japan completely and take them out of Korea’s equation.
#22
Remember the Korean financial meltdown in 1997 ?
The US and European financial institutions all withdrew the money from Korea.
Only Japanese banks kept their lending and further extended the credit.
Will somebody please tell the government and people about “Utis possesis”.
If they simply appease the Japanese actions over ‘Dokdo’ (which are sporadic at best led by a small right-wing group, Japan has much bigger fish to fry in larger territorial and diplomatic disputes than a couple of measely rocks) then Dokdo will remain in the possesion of Korea.
It’s already been more than 50 years…and will continue to remain Korean territory indefinately.
So stop jumping off bridges and setting yourselves alight in front of Japanese embassies and appease their groudnless claims.
natto, i have no idea if that is true, but if true, thank you, Japan.
But that’s a separate matter from a 2 overated rocks.
should be also noted that much of Hyundai and Samsung, and LG grew with Japanese tech during Lt. Okamoto’s height of power.
Korea may be criticized left and right, but hey, I know scores of govts that turned up with very disappointing results despite massive, massive foreign aid.
Oops, only South Korea turned out ok.
Damn the Chinese and the Russians. And their imperialism of poverty and misery for all, and royal treatment for the tiny select few.
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