Japan's main opposition party lays claim to S. Korean islets

TOKYO, July 27 (Yonhap) -- Japan's main opposition party laid claim to South
Korea's easternmost islets in the East Sea on Monday, vowing to "seek an early
solution to the issue through dialogue" if it takes power.
Dokdo has long been a key target of Japan's territorial claims. South Korea has
stationed a police contingent on the islets since the end of the 1950-53 Korean
War to effectively control them. Japan refers to the rocky outcroppings as
Takeshima.
In its manifesto for the Aug. 30 general election, the Democratic Party of Japan
said "it will tenaciously hold talks to achieve an early and peaceful solution to
the issues of northern territories and Takeshima over which Japan has territorial
sovereignty."
However, solving territorial disputes will not only be difficult, but also
time-consuming, said the party, which is strongly favored to win the general
election.
Dokdo has been at the center of a long-standing diplomatic conflict between South
Korea and Japan, due to the latter's territorial claims to the islets.
Dokdo lies just 90km east of South Korea's Ulleung Island in the East Sea, while
the closest Japanese territory of Oki Island in Shimane Prefecture is more than
160km away. A South Korean couple now resides in Dokdo during the fishing season.
In the latest episode, Japan's cabinet approved its annual defense white paper on
July 17, which claims Dokdo as part of Japan's territory. The document has
claimed Japan's territorial rights to Dokdo since 2005.
Japan's claim comes less than a month after a summit between President Lee
Myung-bak and Prime Minister Taro Aso in Tokyo, during which the two leaders
promised to increase cooperation and economic ties.
Anti-Japanese sentiment still runs high among South Koreans due to its colonial
rule of the Korean Peninsula between 1910-45. Seoul and Tokyo normalized
diplomatic relations in 1965, which were severed after Japan surrendered
unconditionally to the Allied Forces in August 1945.
(END)