S Korea may put right-wing Japanese on entry ban watchlist: Yonhap
SEOUL —
A South Korean parliamentary committee is urging the government to put right-wing Japanese politicians on an entry ban watchlist, Yonhap News reported Wednesday. Diplomatic tension is high between the two nations after a failed attempt by three Japanese lawmakers to visit a site near the Dokdo islands on Monday. They were stopped at Seoul airport and sent back to Tokyo.
Japan’s 2011 defense white paper describes the Dokdo islands in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), known as Takeshima in Tokyo, as Japanese territory.
Yonhap said the committee’s request is in response to Japanese lawmakers’ failed attempt to visit Ulleung, an island 90 kilometers from Dokdo. The news agency said a Dokdo committee want the government to compile a watchlist of right-wing politicians and civic activists who have openly claimed Japan’s ownership of the disputed island. The watchlist would prevent such individuals from visiting South Korea for political purposes, Yonhap said.
South Korean President Lee Myung-Bak last week ordered officials to advise Tokyo that Seoul “cannot guarantee the lawmakers’ safety” if they try to visit Ulleung.
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37 Comments
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0
Osakadaz
fair enough.
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YuriOtani
I suppose Japan should make a similar list and bar them from Japan. So South Korea is not secure enough to tolerate Japanese people who do not agree with them. Wonders what the difference is between them and the north? If Japan becomes neutral in the Korean civil war, we will have more security. Their civil war is not our war and South Korea's actions make my case.
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Asagao
Europe and America already do it.
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kwatt
I heard any Japanese tourists also cant go visit Ulleung island any more. I think that is too far beyond the line. Japan should do same thing but it will not do it because its coward.
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smithinjapan
I don't think they should just flat out ban all right-wing politicians because there could very well be cases when they are indeed just going over for a visit with the family, and it would be unfair. However, any politician that states they are going to those islands (in particular) as lawmakers should be banned.
Kwatt: "I heard any Japanese tourists also cant go visit Ulleung island any more. I think that is too far beyond the line. Japan should do same thing but it will not do it because its coward."
If it's true, then I agree it's over the line. However, due to tensions and what not I could see a special visa being required for those islands, and of course any tomfoolery should result in them being deported and then put on the black list. Obviously, a visit there without the special visa (by ship, say) could be considered illegal entry and the people jailed or banned before deportation.
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vg866
Where did you hear that because its completely untrue. Doing something like that would damage Ulleungs tourism and economy.
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HiEveryone
"kwatt"
Thats not true. Ulleung local authority tries to be selective for those Japanese trying to stirr the tension. I think anyone with genuine travel intend would be able to visit Ulleng Islands. A ferry, between Ulleng and Dokdo Island, company mentioned about banning any Japanese on their ferry. I can see the general anger caused by the fool MPs from Japan. Despite that, I dont think any ordinary traveler would be completely banned for a visit to Dokdo, but some may be.
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Elbuda Mexicano
So much over a couple of stupid rocks sticking out of the sea! Grow up Korea and Japan too!!
0
HiEveryone
Elbuda,
The thing is that the stupid rocks happen to be in Korea territory and Japanese are trying to steal them. Now, I dont think there would be a war between the two nations over this. But, who knows what would happen. Wars have been broken out over stupid reasons like soccor games.
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just-a-guy
South Korea should ban exporting Kimchi to japan and the Kan's government will apologise for the LDP's wrong doings!
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Skeptical Hippo
Japan doesn't need Korea. Isolate them, the lot of them!
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just-a-guy
There were alot of these 'rightists' held a position in the Japanese defense agency/academy or the SDF, so South Korea should ban any military cooperations with Japan!
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SamuraiBlue
I guess within S.Korean constitution there is no scripture on freedom of speech since that is exactly what they are obstructing.
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vg866
SamuraiBlue
Japan banned entry to a South Korean enka singer because of his pro Dokdo views. Pot calling kettle black?
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SamuraiBlue
vg866
The Japanese immigration never gave any explanation but I believe she was applying for a working VISA in which case she would need a proper Japanese sponsor proving that she had a job in Japan I believe she never replied if she did have a proper sponsor here in Japan.
If it was just for tourism she wouldn't need to apply for a VISA in the first place.
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vg866
SamuraiBlue
Its not a she, its a he. You must be talking about a completely different singer whom I never heard of. I'm talking about Korean trot(enka) singer Jung Kwang Tae who was denied entry into Japan because of his pro Dokdo views. Korea banning three right wing politicians who openly announced their intention to cause trouble, makes far more sense then the Japanese government banning a singer who sang some patriotic songs about Dokdo.
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SamuraiBlue
vg866
Here is the information I was able to scrape up;
First of all I believe neither Japanese or Korean have a gender prefix so how should I know whether it was a she or a he.
Next it states that he sang the song in 1982 and applied for a visa in 1996. First of all I really do not think the immigration office followed Korean Enka nor would have gave a hoot after 14 years. It's only the person who applied who knows all the details and when first asked what was the problem he obviously did not know judging from his answer, he also states that he had made a scene at the office and tore up the application sheet after being asked to return again the next day.
Moderator
Back on topic please.
0
YuriOtani
Elbuda Mexicano, I agree with you so much. So Japan still has claim to these rocks. A minister said that civil servants should not fly Korean Air and the Clowns were sent in. Korea is hitting back too hard. This will make it almost impossible to drop their claim. I support dropping claim to the rocks but when my country is under attack will support my country.
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vg866
He sang the song many years ago but he continued to sing the song and protest Japans territorial claims many years afterwards. He was banned because of his pro dokdo views. You speculate that he was trying to get a work visa which is completely untrue and ridiculous considering that hes not a fan of Japan. You even refuted your own claim by stating that "it's only the person who applied who knows all the details and when first asked what was the problem he obviously did not know judging from his answer". Its quite obvious why he was denied entry into Japan.
Please don't point fingers at Korea for banning three trouble makers when Japan did the exact same thing to a person who had zero political power.
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YuriOtani
HiEveryone, why is South Korea so upset that the clowns were sent in. Three "lawmakers" had a chance to seize Korean territory? My point is South Korea has to stop hitting back harder and harder on Japan. So far they had resisted hitting back which is not being a "coward".
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SamuraiBlue
vg866 Please don't point fingers at Korea for banning three trouble makers when Japan did the exact same thing to a person who had zero political power.
That is the point Japan have not done anything like Korea. The enka singer could have come to Japan on a short term tourist VISA, shot his program and left. Why did he apply for a VISA in the first place and second what VISA did he apply? He was not rejected at the airport he was rejected at the immigration application center so what was he applying for if it was irrelevant to his purpose then naturally he will be rejected without proper paper works and sponsorship. Nobody had provided an logical explanation and I only see fanboys jumping up and down say "It's your fault, it's your fault!!" Give it a break you are not fooling anyone.
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just-a-guy
Seoul better be more 'assertive' and keep chasing with a tougher manner in actions over the orgies done by those 'gang 3 LDP rightist lawmakers'! That was a very seriously humilation and was backed by the Japanese government. See the Japan defense white paper openly claimed the Doko isles were japan although RoK garrisons over there. What are they expecting? Let the whole world see Korean troops withdrawn from that isles and apologoise for occupations and making compensations...etc. You know why North Korea blashing the south is a 'puppet regieme'? Because Seoul was cowardice to make Japan silence over this and the people of both Koreas agreed what the Norths 'propaganda is true over this dispute. Being 'stabbed in back' by an 'ally' is definately a terrible humilation and is even more shameful than the last one. Remember the Japanese swordsmen slashed the Korean late queen in 1910?
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nigelboy
It states that when the embassy refused to issue him a visa, he turned violent, the embassy told him to come back tomorrow, and then he tore up the application. "His" account sure seems fishy since he had the possession of the application. This means he didn't even apply for it yet. Perhaps the embassy stated that they could not issue him the visa that day, told him to come back tomorrow, then he went ballistic by tearing up the application.
In any case, Japan's list of reasons to refuse entry of a person are linked below.
http://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E4%B8%8A%E9%99%B8%E6%8B%92%E5%90%A6%E4%BA%8B%E7%94%B1
In summary, you got to be one messed up person to be refused entry.
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YuriOtani
just-a-guy, just how does Japans claim on the rocks stab South Korea in the back? Japan has never made a threat to take these rocks by military force. FYI the American reinforcements are based in Japan. Does South Korea want to risk turning Japan into a foe. We can prevent these forces from going to going to South Korea in support of the south in their civil war. So dude how will South Korea make Japan silent? We are a free nation are will not obey your orders.
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vg866
The Korean government rightfully refused those three idiots from entering Korea because they were viewed as a security risk(to themselves) as well as a public disturbance. Such an act is not illegal under Korean law, in fact most countries can refuse entry if they are viewed as a security risk, Japan included. The US regularly denies entry to radical Muslim clerics. The Japanese government denied entry to Chinese activist Wei Jingsheng in 2007. The Japanese government also denied entry to German anti globalism activist Martin Kraemer in 2008.
And yet here you are, whining about how unfair it was that Korea barred entry to three lunatics from Japan who wanted to create a ruckus. This double standard is just ridiculous. Your country regularly denies entry to people it does not want, why can't Korea do the same with Japan crying about it?
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YuriOtani
vg866, this is silly was he turn back at a port of entry into Japan? no, he had a temper tamtum when told to return the next day. He could of applied for a 90 day visa at the port of entry just like any other non resident. Think he was just making a scene for his own propaganda. What Korea wants to do is ban all Japanese who do not agree with them.
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nigelboy
Because he didn't apply for it.
If the visa was denied, they simply return his passport without the visa stamp. The article states that he had the application in his posession.
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vg866
This isn't even about that Enka singer, he was just one example. I was giving out an example of Japan banning people due to their political beliefs. My point was that Korea had every legal right to deny entry to those three idiots as well as the many other right wing idiots from Japan who plan on causing a ruckus in Korea. Japan bars entry to certain undesirables, why not Korea? Why the double standards?
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nigelboy
I think it's evident that your example is a poor one since in all likelihood, the man didn't even apply.
If in fact he did apply, he apparently fits in one of the categories I linked above. If that's so, his political beliefs had nothing to do with it.
Moderator
All readers, back on topic please.
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vg866
Answer my question nigelboy. Why are you so upset over Korea barring entry to three trouble makers when your country regularly does it to other people?
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nigelboy
Not upset. I was laughing at the Korean reaction to all this. And it appears that your Enka hero didn't even apply. The other two that you mentioned was denied entry not based o political beliefs. (as SamuraiBlue proved)
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vg866
I don't listen to Enka, nor am I a fan of that guy. Koreans arn't getting upset at this incident, on the contrary they find it amusing how immature the Japanese can be. If you haven't noticed by now, its the Japanese side that are throwing a fit because they couldn't get in. Korea had every right to ban annoying trouble makers.
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Toshiyuki
Wow, there are so many Koreans here.
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Serrano
"Dokdo"
"Takeshima"
Good grief, are they still arguing about those rocks?
0
Toshiyuki
Serrano, Yeah, that's how non-Japanese and no- Korean normally view this problem. They wouldn't get furious on this topic like people above.
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