S Korean city cancels home stays for Japanese children

Wednesday 16th July, 03:53 PM JST

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bibric at 06:49 AM JST - 18th July

As a Korean, it is not so reasonable reaction. In fact, the Dokdo issue was politicized for political leaders in the two countries to maximize their political interests. For the South Korean government, this issue must be a great pretext to divert the Beef issue. For the Japanese government, this issue must be a great chance to induce the Cons to stick together.
bibric at 06:53 AM JST - 18th July

Youdontknow

I believe that if you have a little bit of knowledge about Korea, you can understand some part of hostility of South Korean people on Japanese people. I think that Japanese are more racism-oriented than Korean. let's see the Kwandong Great Earthquake incident. 4-6 thousands Korean people were massacred in the rumors that the earthquake was cause by the Koreans.

What you are saying is just personal prejucice.
shmave at 01:02 PM JST - 18th July

I keep coming back to this article as it really bothers me that the students have to suffer by not being able to go through with their homestay. But apparently, the students aren't the only ones to suffer...

http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=5171

To always have to bring up the past is ridiculous. Japan did some horrible things in the past but that was decades ago. IMO, Japan does need to give a formal apology and the K's need to move on with life. Forgive but not forget.
BlackTieAffair at 12:40 AM JST - 19th July

Sorry for the children but you know they are not missing much. S.Korea is doing them a favor....there are better places to visit.
RepublicofTexas at 01:17 AM JST - 19th July

I think that Japanese are more racism-oriented than Korean. let's see the Kwandong Great Earthquake incident. 4-6 thousands Korean people were massacred in the rumors that the earthquake was cause by the Koreans.

Yes, but many Japanese lost their lives as a result of the attacks as well. Also many Japanese protected/sheltered the Koreans. The Japanese are no more racist than the Koreans, and to suggest such a thing is ridiculous. There are plenty of instances of Korean racism and prejudice.
Blue_Tiger at 03:03 PM JST - 19th July

It's tragic that Japan has to go an d be totally stupid, making such a mention of the disputed islands in school textbooks. Why couldn7t they have just mentioned that the Islands were disputed and leave it at that? Why did they have to go and claim possession of the islands? Blame rests on the J-Government for this mess. So much for sitting down at the table and tryign to talk this oout like adults. Instead, the J-Government hasd to go and make outlandish claims, printing them in a textbook. It's too bad that the J-Government did this, and that these children are suffering because of it. Koreans already do not like Japan for the 1895-1945 occupation (for which, Japan has never formally apologized); this incident just makes it all that much worse. Way to go J-Government: make yourselves look more jerky in the eyes of a population that already doesn7t like you....
Molenir at 06:10 AM JST - 20th July

Regarding the Islands. I really couldn't care less. I understand why the Japanese Government doesn't want to let the matter rest. Especially since it wasn't even until the 50s when Korea decided to claim the stupid rocks.

The ones suffering in this, are the families that would have hosted the kids, and the kids who now have to go somewhere else. I think both would have benefited from the homestay, and having it canceled for stupid political reasons is just sad.
rajakumar at 07:28 AM JST - 20th July

There are many species(22 species) of birds,80 plant species, and 37 insect species, which make habitat, on islets.Hope they still make it their habitat and live in peace there.

Time for UN and ban ki moon to intervene in islets issues and reduce the woes it is causing.

There 2 south koreans and 37 police officers living on islets. Let UN and International courts decide on this island dispute.

There is a lot of immature politics going on over these islets dispute.

Hope south korea and japan focus more on their trade and travel economic benefits between two nations.

These silly islets dispute and their silly politics over tiny islets with birds and fishes is not very important and vital for japan/south korea economic ties.
Orangeporange at 08:15 PM JST - 20th July

This is just crazy. There are hundreds of thousands of Koreans living, going to school, homestaying and enjoying Japan regardless of any tentions Japan and S. Korea have. Why can't they let a handful of Jr. High school students go and visit their country for a week or so? Should Japan ship all the S. Korean kids home because of this stupid issue? Crazy!
nipponlove at 02:39 AM JST - 22nd July

Although I admire many wonderful Japanese folks for their hospitality and kindness, the selfish actions of Japanese gov. overshadow just about all the goodnesses about Japan. I believe Japan's been overreaching and out of line on this Dokdo issue. I am really disappointed at the wolf faces of Japan behind their sheep masks.
ca1ic0cat at 05:34 AM JST - 22nd July

I'm with raja. The UN should take over administration of the islands, set up a world heritage site, kick all the humans out and leave the whole thing for the birds....
hermitage at 10:52 AM JST - 22nd July

It is not Japan but South Korea that has refused to discuss the Takeshima/Dokdo issue at the International Court of Justice.

Why? I think the S. Korean government knows that they cannot justify the arbitrary decisions on the territory followed by Syngman Rhee government's aggressive occupation of the disputed areas.

When Syngman Rhee was ruling South Korea as the dictator, Japan was already a pacifist democratic nation. So, Japan has just insisted on her opinion about the island and proposed to discuss at ICJ. She has not ever moved any military force, related to the dispute. South Korea occupied the island, and refused to discuss it at ICJ.

The world knows this very fact in history.
nigelboy at 11:11 AM JST - 22nd July

It's tragic that Japan has to go an d be totally stupid, making such a mention of the disputed islands in school textbooks. Why couldn7t they have just mentioned that the Islands were disputed and leave it at that? Why did they have to go and claim possession of the islands?

Because that is the official position of Japan in regards to Liancourt Rocks.

But how come you are so critical of Japan when Korea has been asserting their claim on the islets on their school textbook much longer than that of Japan?

Seriously folks. The party that's making a "big deal" out of this issue is Korea by cancelling such events, refusing to discuss this issue diplomatically in Singapore, and decapitating live birds in front of the embassy.
nigelboy at 11:59 AM JST - 22nd July

Why couldn7t they have just mentioned that the Islands were disputed and leave it at that?

Just to add, the education ministry did in fact proposed to do that. But Korea complained anyways.
hermitage at 01:07 PM JST - 22nd July

nipponlove,

I am really disappointed at the wolf faces of Japan behind their sheep masks.

Please compare which had the wolf face, which political leaders who were active in the same period after WWII did wolfish things:

Syngman Rhee Shigeru Yoshida

Then, I recommend you to read the standpoint of the Japanese government. Outline of the Issue of Takeshima

So, I guess you will have a different view to this issue, even in case you still believe the island belongs to South Korea.

After WWII, no other countries are as pacifist, peace-loving as Japan. Better or worse, it's a fact, which cannot be replaced by a political propaganda and megalomaniac illusions about Japan today.

Japan is totally different from that in the 1930s and 40s. S. Korean people don't understand this simple fact, and they seem to be reluctant to look at their own history in the 1940s and 50s.

S. Korea or Japan, which was peace-loving, is very obvious to anyone.