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Bush orders S Korea's ownership of disputed islets reinstated in database

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  • hermitage at 08:11 AM JST - 5th August

    AnnunakiRA wrote:

    There are many people rallying infront of the Japanese Embassy rather than in South Korean President's assembly house. On the other hand, there are no people rallying in front of the Korean Embassy and the Japanese Prime Minister's official residence in Japan. So this islet belongs to both of them. I can agree with you. Because the islets are halfway between the two countries, and it is very, very natural that both countries insit on the ownership. This very inevitable, natural yet difficult situation can be well understood by the interpretation that the islets have been owned by people and of both countries. That should be true. But none of the two governments will acknowledge it, because, if they do so, they will lose the reson d'etre of their powers, which always have to be dirty and corrupt. I've spoken for Japan's standpoint, but it's just for balancing and relativizing the opinions in this thread, and questioning the S. Korean views about the issue as well as their recent over-heated, over-reacting movements. But I don't believe in both of the political powers at all. I would like to respect people in both areas in the Far East.

  • hermitage at 09:37 AM JST - 5th August

    (Ah, some formatting tag was wrong. Sorry).

    AnnunakiRA wrote:

    There are many people rallying infront of the Japanese Embassy rather than in South Korean President's assembly house.

    On the other hand, there are no people rallying in front of the Korean Embassy and the Japanese Prime Minister's official residence in Japan.

    So this islet belongs to both of them.

    I can agree with you. Because the islets are halfway between the two countries, and it is natural that both countries want to insist on the ownership. This inevitable, natural yet difficult situation can be well understood by the interpretation that the islets have been owned by people and of both countries. That should be true.

    But none of the two governments will acknowledge it, because, if they do so, they will lose the reson d'etre of their powers, which always have to be dirty and corrupt, trying to maintain the status quo and their ruling systems.

    I've spoken for Japan's standpoint, but it's just for balancing and relativizing the opinions in this thread, and questioning the S. Korean views about the issue as well as their recent over-heated, over-reacting movements. But I don't believe in any of the political powers at all. I just want to believe the people of both nations will start thinking, before rallying and raising their hands before an Embassy, Japanese or Korean.

  • AnnunakiRA at 11:32 AM JST - 5th August

    Hermitage: 100% I agree with you.

  • Xentrix at 11:37 AM JST - 5th August

    hermitage, Nice comment, without a doubt I also agree with you.

  • GlowingStar at 11:40 AM JST - 5th August

    Hermitage, excellent post. I am so proud of your comment. That make sense and it is a reality.

  • highhope at 03:02 PM JST - 5th August

    Argument about the ownership of the islet has no meaning at this point. The islet is physically occupied by Korea. Can Japan attack Korea to catch the islet? Any mature Japanese person would know that it is not possible at present time as Koreans are not helpless nor powerless like when Korea was in the turn of 20th century. Of course intelligent Japnese politicians would know it, They also know that Korea would not take this issue to the international courts where some of judge seats are occupied by Japanese, only to loose by vote.

    Then why the Japanese politicians ( LDP sector-right wing) bring it up now?

    There are several possible reasons.

    1. To help the US to be away from the shooting range from the angry Koreans with the beef import from the US.

    2. To help GWB for a smooth visit to South Korea so as to be received warmly by South Koreans by reinstating the islet is owned by Korea. Nothing has changed. He just became a good cowboy without using gun.

    3. To help right wing politicians such as Aso to regain the power. They again plays the old trick, politics of fear. They say to innocent Japanese, “ See? Don’t the angry Koreans look like threatening Japan?’. Nice and gentle Fukuda can not handle hard issues like this.”

    It is very clear to me that Docto/Takeshima issue is an orchestrated political game designed by Japanese right wings approved by GWB.

  • MrMukatsuku at 04:38 PM JST - 5th August

    According to the US Board on Geographic Names website, the rivers separating North Korea from China and Russia by their are referred to by their Chinese names: the Yalu and the Tumen. Not by their Korean names: the Amnok and the Duman.

    http://earth-info.nga.mil/gns/html/index.html

    Are the Dokdo crew going to pick fights with China and Russia too?

  • highhope at 05:38 PM JST - 5th August

    Yalu and Tumen are not Chinese language, but Manchu Language. As one of branches of Tungusic language, the Manchu language has the same grammar structure as Korean and Japanese, but completely different from Chinese. Also the pronunciation of the Manchu language is more similar to Japanese than to Korean as Korean language had much influence from Chinese language during the last 500 years. It tells that Manchu-Korea-Japan have a common root. Then, why fight for the common territory?

  • Nippon5 at 10:10 PM JST - 5th August

    It is very clear to me that Docto/Takeshima issue is an orchestrated political game designed by Japanese right wings approved by GWB.

    And the boogey man is real... You cant blame all action on the world on GWB... For one he is an idiot and cant think that deep into it.. Two if you think politicians run the countries your just ignorant. Three everyone knows that Japan has wanted this island since 1952 and has had problems wioth Korea about it and many other issues since after the war.

  • Xentrix at 10:14 PM JST - 5th August

    highhope wrote: (There are several possible reasons. To help the US to be away from the shooting range from the angry Koreans with the beef import from the US. To help GWB for a smooth visit to South Korea so as to be received warmly by South Koreans by reinstating the islet is owned by Korea. Nothing has changed. He just became a good cowboy without using gun.)

    If this is the reason so for the protection or security of the USA President George Bush from angry koreans, it does'nt matter. It does'nt hold a grudge. In the first place, The USA President have a lots of Help and services to the global world. He is a very important person. It is good that some other political initiative is highly been acted or to lead his respectively presence to safety from all harm in Asia.

    highhope wrote: (Don’t the angry Koreans look like threatening Japan?’. Nice and gentle Fukuda can not handle hard issues like this.)"

    I observed they are not likely threatening the People of Japan. They are just over reacting situation which is some unspecified group maneuvering them to act strangely to cover beef issues. But we don't need to accused whose party or organization involved in creating this kind of a game political maneuvers. Well President Fukuda in Japan, I may say he had those father figures in his leadership as a President in Japan. Being a tough President or Leader doe'snt necessarily means he can solve hard issues but through the settlement of his gentle heart and aim for peace and unity throughout the world.

  • Xennon at 12:30 AM JST - 6th August

    But as you can see the god really create this in the middle location of the two countries

    I don't think so. I believe plate tectonics and/or volcanic activity created this. But hey... what does science know...

  • bibric at 08:48 AM JST - 7th August

    hermitage

    I sincerely hope that you take more critical position different from Japanese Cons.

    The 1965 treaty doesn't cover "any crime that Japan committed before and during the Japanese colonial period". If you think that the 1965 has completely finalized all issues derived from the Japanese colonial legacy, it's just endless propaganda of the MOFA.

    Think about the dignity of individuals!

  • bibric at 09:02 AM JST - 7th August

    "About Hiroshima nuclear incidents"

    First of all, think about which side was "the aggressor" of the WWII!

    Second, think about which side saved more numerous innocent victims in Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China, Taiwan and Korea.

    Finally, think about the role of the head of your country!

    You always blame your external factors, Nuclear or Americans. In the US, I've heard that many people think that numerous innocent victims in Asia by the Japanese relentless oppression were saved by the END of the War.

    The main target of the peace movement would be in your heart rather than in others'.

  • hermitage at 09:32 AM JST - 7th August

    Biblic, one of the related treaties in 1965: http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/AgreementBetweenJapanandtheRepublicofKoreaConcerningtheSettlementofProblemsinRegardtoPropertyandClaimsandEconomic_Cooperation

    It seems to have no limit about the term to be covered.

    If you think that the 1965 has completely finalized all issues derived from the Japanese colonial legacy, it's just endless propaganda of the MOFA.

    You are right. But the 1965 treaty was made because both nations thought that having it would benefit both nations and their peoples, didn't they? Or, no treaty was impossible. So, I agree that not all issues have not been solved, but both S. Korean and Japanese people have the obligation to respect the spirit and the content of the 1965 treaty, because it is a very important treaty between the two nations still effective today, and it cannot be neglected so easily. Or, we will fall into an endless propaganda of the extreme conservatives in Japan or Korea.

    Look at the Japan-U.S. relation, for example, still today many people in Japan are very critical about the A-bombing to Hiroshima and Nagasaki which slaughtered nearly 250,000 civilians.

    But the majority of people in Japan do not think that Japan should renounce the San Francisco Peace Treaty. Anti-war activists may make a demonstration in front of the U.S. embassy, but their slogans (except leftists') have not ever insisted on anti-America. They are not interested in any nationalistic bias, because for them, a-boming is bad, whether it's by Russia or the U.S., and even they want to retain a friendly relation with the U.S.

    I wish S. Korean people to have this kind of calmness. And, both Korean and Japanese conservatives should not instigate the people.

  • Blue_Tiger at 08:01 PM JST - 10th August

    Pathat - Nice try with your interpreted source (and thanks for posting a link so I could go and look. how's that for fair? At least I TRIED to post a webiste which, I might add, worked just fine with my computer), but the AGREEMENT ITSELF STATES "GOODS AND SEVICES" not money. Try again, and this time, without a biased source that no-one can look up on his or her own....

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