- Title: SOUTH KOREA: Protesters rally against Japan over disputed islands
- Date: 25th October 2013
- Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (OCTOBER 25, 2013) (REUTERS) SOUTH KOREAN ANTI-JAPAN PROTESTER RIPPING JAPANESE RISING SUN FLAG BEARING PHOTOGRAPH OF JAPANESE PRIME MINISTER SHINZO ABE VARIOUS OF PROTESTER TEARING JAPANESE RISING SUN FLAG BEARING PHOTO OF ABE SOUTH KOREAN PROTESTER SETTING FIRE TO FLAG RALLY JAPANESE RISING SUN FLAG AND PORTRAIT OF ABE WITH TOOTHBRUSHES THAT SIGNIFIES "CLEANING OUT" HIS MOUTH PROTESTERS CHANTING MORE OF RALLY (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN ANTI JAPAN PROTEST LEADER OH CHUN-DO SAYING: "We're so furious with the Japanese government for not deleting (the part in the Japanese diplomatic paper calling the islands Takeshima and that they belong to Japan) and playing a silly game. We will charge Abe with a crime and bring the case to the South Korean court." PROTESTERS HOLDING INDICTMENT OF ABE INDICTMENT OF ABE FOR SOUTH KOREAN COURT PROTESTERS CHANTING AND WALKING TOWARDS COURT PARTICIPANTS OF OUTDOOR CEREMONY MARKING "DOKDO DAY" (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) DOKDO'S HONORARY MAYOR LEE SOO-GWANG SAYING: "If thousands of people become honorary citizens of Dokdo, Japanese politicians will not be able to disrespect the islands and South Korean politicians will pay more attention."
- Embargoed: 9th November 2013 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Korea, Republic of
- Country: South Korea
- Topics: International Relations,Politics
- Reuters ID: LVAOSPD5LVMYCFYKM7A17G0HL9B
- Story Text: South Korean protesters rallied on Friday (October 25) against Japan's claims over ownership of disputed islands on what civic groups have declared "Dokdo Day".
The day was declared in 2010 in efforts to attract more international recognition that the disputed islands belong to South Korea.
South Korea controls the islands, known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japan and equidistant from the mainlands of both countries.
A small group of anti-Japan protesters on Friday ripped off a banner bearing the Japanese military flag called the Rising Sun, on which also holds a photograph of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
"We're so furious with the Japanese government for not deleting (the part in the Japanese diplomatic paper calling the islands Takeshima and that they belong to Japan) and playing a silly game. We will charge Abe with a crime and bring the case to the South Korean court," said one of the anti-Japan protesters, Oh Chun-do.
In downtown Seoul, an outdoor ceremony with about 100 civic groups was held to mark Dokdo Day.
The participants danced along to 'Dokdo Song' and held a campaign to sign up people to be honorary citizens of the islands.
"If thousands of people become honorary citizens of Dokdo, Japanese politicians will not be able to disrespect the islands and South Korean politicians will pay more attention," said Lee Soo-gwang, Dokdo's honorary mayor.
The long-simmering disputes over the set of islets called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan have troubled ties between the two countries.
On Wednesday (October 23), South Korean foreign ministry said the 87-second-long video produced by the Japanese Foreign Ministry was posted on Youtube on October 16. It called the video "provocative" and demanded for Japan to delete it.
The video has a link on the homepage of the Japanese Foreign Ministry and introduces the islands as Japan's territory and says South Korea is now illegally controlling the islands.
South Korea's Yonhapnews agency said South Korea also has released an over 12-minute video on YouTube that shows the historic and geological connections between the islands and South Korea and refutes Japan's claims. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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