Japan`s political parties give `Dokdo trio` cold shoulder

Leaders of Japan’s ruling and opposition parties have given the cold shoulder to three lawmaker of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party who were denied entry into Korea while attempting to visit Ulleung Island.

At a party meeting on foreign affairs Tuesday, Yoshitaka Shindo and two other lawmakers complained that their party’s leadership oscillated over their visit, which was first to be on behalf of the party but later changed to a private trip.

Liberal Democratic Party Secretary-General Nobuteru Ishihara rebutted their claim, saying the party had never allowed them to go to Korea. “Though it is true that a territorial issue (between Korea and Japan) exists, we should be careful not to ruin bilateral ties because of that,” he said.

In a House of Representatives meeting, the ruling Democratic Party of Japan expressed regret that the three lawmakers left for Korea during a parliamentary session without getting approval. The party also said Shindo should bear heavy responsibility as a House committee chairman.

Ishihara offered an apology.

The Liberal Democratic Party leadership, which has maintained a tough stance on territorial issues, is taking a low profile probably because it believes that the party has achieved its political goals. Internal friction has appeared, however, as hardliners are demanding tougher responses to Korea.

Meanwhile, other Japanese lawmakers say they will to go to Ulleung with the three lawmakers grabbing the media spotlight. According to Japanese media on Wednesday, two other Liberal Democratic Party lawmakers said they would visit the island.

One of the two, Katsuei Hirasawa, originally planned to go along with the first three but dropped out at the last minute. A former senior police officer and a conservative hardliner, Hirasawa recently said he did not give up going to Ulleung but postponed the trip for about a month, adding that he will go as soon as the parliamentary session ends.

Hakubun Shimomura strongly protested Chief Cabinet Secretary Yohei Kono’s 1993 statement apologizing for Japan’s sex slavery in World War II.

On Tuesday, a group of conservative Japanese lawmakers issued a statement urging Seoul to specify why it denied the three lawmakers entry into Korea.

jkmas@donga.com