politics

S Korea may station troops on disputed islets: Yonhap

27 Comments

The South Korean government is considering stationing troops on its easternmost islets of Dokdo, due to escalating tensions with Japan, Yonhap reported on Tuesday. The islets, known in Japan as Takeshima, are situated in the East Sea between the two nations.

"We have no objection in principle to stationing Marines on Dokdo as part of efforts to strengthen our sovereign control of the islets," Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho Byung-jae said, Yonhap reported.

South Korea’s military criticized earlier this month after Tokyo’s annual defense paper renewed claims to disputed Seoul-controlled islands.

Diplomatic tension has been high since a failed attempt by three Japanese lawmakers to visit a site near the islands. They were stopped at a Seoul airport and sent back to Tokyo.

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27 Comments
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Now come on South Korea, come on Japan!

Stop this right now!

You know it'll only end in tears!

0 ( +1 / -0 )

I feel sorry for those troops already and I hope they won't have to go there.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Why not share them,East Dokdo and West Dokdo?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Some readers treat this like a joke.

They're not even called Dokdo.

They're called the Wallaby Islands and they belong to Australia since they were discovered by Captain Cook when he got lost on his way home from the east coast of New Holland.

But we're prepared, in the interests of peace, to hand them over as gesture of good will to whichever North Asian country makes the least irritating dramas. Mongolia's a nose in front.

Oh, and we want Kashmir back, too (The Platypus Ranges).

3 ( +4 / -2 )

not who you think it is, way to go possum

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Good grief. Does Japan even really believe that they claimed the islands terra nullis in 1905??? Nevermind the small bit of historical fact that Japan had an army stationed in Korea in preparation for forcibly annexing Korea in 1909??? Give me a break.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

blinks talk about punishing the troops! Japan has a paper claim on the rocks, oh perhaps it time for a election time in Korea? Suppose Japan can send some troops to Tsushima to repulse a Korean invasion.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

This is not news. May, or might isn't actually a reality. If they place more troops there, then it is an event.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

South Korean troops are no match for Japanese troops. It would not be in their best interests to pursue this further.

-2 ( +2 / -3 )

The best solution is to have the rocks sink in an earthquake.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Their islands; their rate. But it would be a pretty lousy existence.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Sorry... that's their 'right', not rate.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

I am U.S.-born Korean citizen and after having read what other people here have written, I think it's already time that Korea and Japan ought to stop quibbling each other tit-for-tat and try to accept each other as genuine neighbours and also make efforts to befriend with each other.As for stationing troops in Dokdo Island, there is nothing I can do to stop it if Seoul decides to send troops on the island..

However, it would be nice if both Korea and Japan work out a solution by themselves to end this stalemate since the U.S. is not going to take either side..Besides the U.S. isn't even a third party to this island dispute!! I wish Korea and Japan take cue from other countries where there used to be territorial conflicts in the past but somehow they solved the problems through talks..Korea isn't the only country that Japan has territorial conflicts.Japan has unresolved island disputes with China and Russia so before time runs out I think it's possible that Korea and Japan can make peace with each other and never fight or have conflict with each other ever again!! Peace To All Mankind!!

2 ( +3 / -2 )

Meaningless political show trying to gain popularity. It's as bad as the 3 Japanese politicians that tried to go to Ulleungdo.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Divide et impera" - the principle is as old as the world. Japan is a puppet of American military interests in the region, so is South Korea. Whatever may or may not happen, there's only one force both interested and capable in escalating tension in that part of the Far East - between China, Taiwan, the two Koreas and Japan. Which other force is there? There's only one that has most strategically placed military bases right in the heart of the region.. In the mean time, the poor simple folks of all the unconsciously participating countries naively hate each other, appropriately inspired by their national media, troubled by their "channel 8"s, fears of a war, missing new F16 fighters, etc - all in favour of the puppet master they don't see, to whom the cold war is a state-of-the-art game, perfected over decades.. It's more sad than it is pathetic, really.

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Looks like this article is taken over by a Korean paper. Otherwise using terms like "Eastern Sea" oder referring to the islets as "Dokdo" would not make sense. Generally the islets tend to draw a much bigger emotion in Korea than in Japan. Japan keeps renewing claims to the islands to not lose any claims.

Meanwhile Korean international TV stations air advertisements to visit the islands (the Liancourt Rocks as I refer) for holidays. It seems, there is no intend of talks between the nations to settle this argument, rather Korea is being loud.

The simplest solution to settle the dispute would be to call the international court. So far, Korea does not want to do this. Why? If there is a legal claim, this could be settled there.

The US by the way do play a part about those islands. After WWII they explicitely did not give in Koreas claims to the islands and rather used it for their military purpose, taken from defeated Japan. The US after 50 years just do their best in keeping silent, they are a protective power on both countries.

A rather funny part in explaining some claims on some islands is the fact, that claims reach back centuries, although many things happend in between. Always the case in the Japanese disputed islands with neighboring countries. Maybe Rome should still have control of countries around the Mediterranean Sea, France over eastern Europe since Napolean, etc. often ridiculous arguments not up-to-date. If an island can be seen from somewhere else also is no argument, even Palin proved that with Russia. What's behind of this - except right wingers - Maritime law is a big factor about disputed islands, and claim for resources there. So go settle this with talks between each other and if not possible go to court! Let the international Court of Justice decide. Always better than war or neverneding disputes.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Lets bring the troops tougher and let them battle it out. Instead of guns, etc it will be beer. At required intervals the troops have to put down a glass. Failure to drink, getting sick or passing out puts them out of the contest. The "Army" with the last man standing wins. Not only does their country get the rocks but the troops get bragging rights! This will be a tough battle and many will fall but it is their duty braving sickness for the sake of their country!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

HUh?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

The Koreans are Han people and invaded Japan many many years ago. They lost control. Story ended.

Give back the islands to Japan that they have owned ever since.

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Do not forget, that Koreans are Han people also. They invaded Japan a long time ago and forgot about their own culture, and at that time, there was not much of it anyway.

They should give all the islands back to Japan that were forgotten, and quit complaining about that short colonization of Korea.

The Koreans invaded Japan first and did a pretty good job of controlling it .

-3 ( +2 / -5 )

Give that bloody rock to China, then Korea and Japan can become bossom buddy again against a common enemy.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

oberst, I agree give the rock to the Republic of Korea.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Dump all the Fukushima mess on the islands.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Those Japanese politicians who tried to go there did nothing to improve Japan's position and in fact weakened it. Japan invaded Korea and took it as a colony. They started a war with China, Britain, the U.S., etc., and lost. Japan therefore lost its colonies. Why don't Japanese understand that? War with Korea will never happen but if it did and there were outside interference, Japan would lose. They have universal military conscription. Therefore, the average bloke walking down the street is a far more formidable foe than the effeminate so-called herbivores of Japan. Korean soldiers are far tougher than their Japanese counterparts. Remember the Koreans face a hostile enemy 24/7 and many of them have actually been under fire. By comparison, Japan's soldiers are little more than waterboys to the American side.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

warnerbro, Well you are so "charming", so why would Japan attack South Korea? Our plate is full from natural and man made disasters. There is not going to be a war between Japan and the southern faction of Korea. Those rocks are not worth the life of a single person and keep on speaking. You are the poster boy for discord between Japan and Korea.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

what is on the island? diamonds, oil, gold? If there is nothing like that on it and this is just a dispute over land, japan needs to just let S.Korea have it. It doesnt make since that they claim that the island is theirs but they have to go through S.Korea to get to the island.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japan and South Korea NEED EACH OTHER! The last thing South Korea and Japan need are conflicts with each other, just look up at the DPRK, North Korea, it is a bloody mess. Do the Chinese really care about North Korea?? Do the Russians?? No! They just want to build rail lines, oil and gas pipe lines THROUGH North Korea to sell it to South Korea and then over to Japan, but I digress. Japan and South Korea need to work with each other, not let idiot UYOKU Japanese Right Wingers start there jingoism, anti Korean crap etc..plus, getting a big beer and all you can drink war like Yuri Otani san says, sounds better than killing each other, do not forget the kim chi and nice Pulgogi! and any other snacks that go along with beer! Kanpai!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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