Japan Circulating New Pamphlet on Dokdo Claim

Japan`s Foreign Ministry is distributing a pamphlet in 10 languages claiming the Dokdo islets through its diplomatic and consular offices.

Japan`s top daily Yomiuri Shimbun said Saturday that the ministry in February last year distributed 23,500 copies of the pamphlet "Ten Issues of Takeshima" in English, Korean and Japanese.

Tokyo has also published the booklet in seven other languages – Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish - this month and will send 1,000 copies to each of its diplomatic missions. The pamphlet can also be downloaded online from the ministry’s Web site.

The 14-page leaflet shows Japan’s position on the sovereignty of Dokdo, which Japan calls Takeshima. “In light of historical facts and based on international law, it is apparent that Takeshima is an inherent part of Japanese territory,” it said. “The Republic of Korea is illegally occupying Takeshima, and this is something that Japan has consistently made strong protests against.”

In response, the Korean government sent a written protest to the Japanese Foreign Ministry and demanded the removal of the pamphlet from its Web site.

The Korean Foreign Ministry has a document on Korea’s position on Dokdo in 10 languages on its Web site.

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