Japan proposes bringing island dispute to international court

Japan, on August 17, proposed to bring the island dispute with South Korea to the International Court of Justice, but the other sideSeoulhas rejected.

About 200 Japanese people yesterday protested in front of the South Korean embassy in Tokyo to protest against South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's visit to the disputed islands. Photo: AFP

According toKyodo, Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba made the above proposal to South Korean Ambassador Shin Kak Soo during a meeting inTokyoHe believes that this is a method to help resolve disputes in a satisfactory, fair and peaceful manner.

The proposal was made amid tense relations between the two sides following the visit of South Korean President Lee Myung-bak on August 10 to the disputed islands, which South Korea calls Dokdo and Japan calls Takeshima.

Responding to Japan's proposal, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Tai Young reaffirmed Seoul's stance that the Dokdo Islands "are clearly part of South Korean territory based on history, geography and international law" and there is no dispute over the islands, so Japan's proposal is "not worth" considering.

Since South Korea began exercising control over the islands in 1954, Tokyo has twice requested Seoul to refer the dispute to the Hague court in 1954 and 1962, but was rejected. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) will not take up the case unless both parties agree to the same proposal.

The islands have long been a source of diplomatic tension between Japan and South Korea. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak recently visited the islands after Japan reiterated its claim to the islands in a defense white paper. The Japanese government has recalled its ambassador to South Korea for consultations about President Lee's visit.

At a press conference today, Japanese Finance Minister Jun Azumi announced the cancellation of a visit to South Korea and suggested reviewing a bilateral currency swap agreement.

On the same day, Japanese Environment Minister Goshi Hosono announcedTokyoprotested South Korea's plan to nominate the disputed islands as a World Geopark, also known as a "Geopark."

Responding to a question from the press about the possibility of Japan registering the archipelago as a "Geopark," Mr. Hosono reaffirmed that the archipelago is Japanese territory and that Tokyo has not yet taken any specific action regarding that issue.

According to VNA-M