Koreans Protest Against Japanese Celebrations on Takeshima Day

A number of NGO groups staged a protest in front of the Japanese embassy on Friday, demanding that Tokyo drop its plans for so-called "Takeshima Day" celebrations and put an end to its claims over the Dokdo islets.

"More than 50 people protested here in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on "Takeshima Day"calling for an end to Japan's "imperialists acts" while demanding that Japan not go ahead with a plan to create a government ministry solely for Dokdo. The protestors say Japan should refrain from acts of aggression in order to improve relations between the two countries".

A letter was delivered to the Japanese embassy requesting that Japan acknowledge its imperialist past.
Another ardent activist, Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon, said the Korean government wasn't doing enough to protect Dokdo and made some suggestions for the incoming president.

"The incoming government should do more than the current government, even if costs billions of dollars. There must be more funding to promote the historical and factual evidence, and we must know what effective occupation over our Dokdo Islets actually means. Our embassies and their employees must be trained to answer questions about Dokdo. And finally we must have an independent Dokdo Research Institute in Seoul because foreigners rarely visit Dokdo and Ulleung Island".

For Japan, "Takeshima Day" was a day of celebration.
For Korea, it was a day of reflection, to examine ways to better promote and defend Korea's historical and legal claims to the Dokdo islets.

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Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News.

Reporter : youchaie
jiyeonkim@arirang.co.kr