A US government agency has reversed its recent decision to refer to a small island claimed by both Japan and South Korea as no longer belonging to any country, and will continue calling it South Korean territory.
Last week, the US Board on Geographic Names changed its designation of the island from South Korean to non-designated sovereignty. South Korea strongly protested the decision.
On Wednesday, the Asian affairs chief of the National Security Council Dennis Wilder said President George W Bush ordered Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to look into the matter after being contacted by the South Korean government. Bush is visiting South Korea next week.
He said the decision was then made that the board's database will go back to referring to the island as South Korean.
Wilder said he regrets that last week's change in designation was perceived by South Koreans as some sort of change in the US policy.
He said the US remains neutral on the dispute, and that Japan and South Korea should work diplomatically to resolve the issue.
The island is called Takeshima in Japanese and Dokdo in Korean. Earlier this month, Japan's education ministry referred to the island for the first time in a document for junior high school teachers. This brought strong protests from South Korea.
2008/07/31 10:56
http://www.nhk.or.jp/daily/english/31_13.html
Takeshima is not included in the area that Japan abandoned by San Francisco Peace Treaty, so it is a Japanese territory.
Treaty Of Peace With Japan
Chapter II
Territory
Article 2
(a) Japan recognizing the independence of Korea, renounces all right, title and claim to Korea, including the islands of Quelpart, Port Hamilton and Dagelet.
U.S.A. betrayed an alliance with Japan. Japan should cancel U.S.-Japan Security Treaty
Korea occupies Takeshima without any grounds in an international law. It is the coward who continues refusing appearance in to the International Court of Justice
Korea insists that Tsushima is also Korea territory. In the future, Korea will insist that whole Japan is Korea territory . If continue occupying it illegally by all means, it is considered to be an enemy. Korea will be destroyed by all means
Korea says it created dragon-boat racing and mahn-tou, which is chinese. Korea says it created China.
takeshima is a small uninhabited island, isn't it? destroy it with many explosives, and there will be no arguments.
>>9
I hear the argument is actually more over ocean rights granted by Takeshima then Takeshima itself. The surrounding fisheries are very valuable.
Why dont' they just share it?
>>11
Have you heard of this sharing mentality is successful in practice?
oh no, don't cancel treaty japan!
how will i protect myself without your awesome army that is more powerful than poland?
>>13
military access through japan is a major part of US force projection in east asia, you are very dumb.
Those Korean extremists went too far when they cut open and ate those pheasants alive, and pulled the limbs of that pig using ropes.
Make it Takeshima.
>>15
Actually, I think that particular protest was over the US military presence or something.
(But the Koreans really just wanted an excuse to torture animals.)