Japanese Ambassador to Korea, “Dokdo is Japanese territory”

Toshiyuki Takano, the Japanese Ambassador to Korea, said on February 23 that “Korea and Japan have clearly different points of view when it comes to the issue of Takeshima (the Japanese name for Dokdo)”, at a press conference for foreign media held in the Korea Press Center in Seoul, according to participants.

Though the remark by the Ambassador was no more than a repetition of Tokyo’s original stance, it is expected to cause a stir, as it came on the same day when Seoul harshly criticized the move by a Japanese provincial council to put forward legislation to designate February 22 as “Takeshima Day.”

At the conference, Takano asked for a “rational response” from the Korean government by saying “I don’t want the issue to damage the two countries’ friendship, and hope to see a peaceful resolution.”

With regard to emerging public opinion in Korea that the 1965 Korea-Japan Agreement should be renegotiated, the ambassador said, “The agreement itself has played an important role in maintaining close ties between the two countries. Hence, it would be improper to renegotiate the agreement.”

Hyong-gwon Pu bookum90@donga.com