Opening of the scientific conference on the South China Sea in South Korea.

According to the Vietnam Studies Center of Korea, the 2013 Scientific Conference on the South China Sea, themed "Policy-related signs and island disputes in Southeast Asia," took place on May 27th in Busan, South Korea.

The workshop was attended by numerous researchers, scholars, graduate students, and undergraduates from Yongsan University, the Institute of Oceanography, the Center for Vietnamese Studies, and the Association of Koreans Who Love Vietnam (VESAMO).

Da Lon Island belongs to the Truong Sa archipelago (Vietnam).
(Photo: Trong Dat/VNA)

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Professor Kim Huyn Jae, Director of the Vietnam Research Center and Secretary General of the VESAMO Association, affirmed that the purpose of the conference was to provide complete, accurate, and objective information on the current state of the South China Sea dispute, the stance and views of Vietnam and Southeast Asian countries in resolving the dispute in the South China Sea. Through this, Korean scientists, researchers, scholars, and the public can understand and propose solutions to resolve the South China Sea dispute, contributing to the protection of a peaceful environment and maritime security in the South China Sea in particular, and peace and stability in the region and the world in general.

At the conference, the presentations and counter-arguments by scientists focused on addressing and analyzing the recent disputes in the South China Sea between China and several Southeast Asian countries, including Vietnam and the Philippines; the irrationality of China's "nine-dash line" claim; the legal and historical basis for Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracel and Spratly Islands; Vietnam's stance on resolving disputes in the South China Sea based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea; and the responsibility of the international community and relevant countries in protecting peace and security in the South China Sea.

During the workshop, delegates also had access to numerous documents and books on the legal and historical basis of Vietnam's position in the South China Sea; the absurdity of China's "nine-dash line" claim, as presented by international researchers and scholars, was published and highly appreciated by the public.

This is the first seminar on the South China Sea held in the southern region of South Korea, organized by Yongsan University in collaboration with the Institute of Oceanography and the Center for Vietnamese Studies, and the second time it has been held in South Korea.

According to (Vietnam+) - LT