Netizens Join Online Campaigns to Protect Dokdo

A rising number of netizens who are angry over the government response to Japan’s newest claim to the Dokdo islets are joining online campaigns to counter the Japanese move.

More than 5,000 users visited a Web site opened in the online community site Cyworld under the title “Dokdo, Our Sovereign Territory.”

The figure jumped 50 times in two days since Japan’s Education, Science and Technology Ministry claimed the Dokdo islets in its middle school guidelines for social studies.

A variety of campaigns aim to raise awareness of Korean sovereignty over the rocky islets in Cyworld, under banners such as “Campaign to Gather a Million Signatures” and “A Million Cyber Residents for Dokdo.”

YouTube featured a clip saying, “Though small but dear, Dokdo is Korean territory,” attracting interest from people at home and abroad.

In the Internet portal site Daum, a fundraising campaign to run a TV commercial about the islets has about 7,000 participants trying to raise 100,000 U.S. dollars.

The money will go to promote awareness of the islets under the leadership of Korean public relations expert Seo Kyung-deok. Seo has run ads claiming Korea’s territorial rights to Dokdo and promoting the use of the term “East Sea” instead of “Sea of Japan” in The New York Times.

The Internet-based virtual world site Second Life has launched a campaign to install a security monitoring system for the disputed islets. The campaign began June 29 when the Japanese flag replaced Korea’s on Dokdo.

niceshin@donga.com jhk85@donga.com