SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: South Korea says it will not tolerate Japan's territorial claim on disputed islets

Record ID: 466212

  • Title: SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN: South Korea says it will not tolerate Japan's territorial claim on disputed islets
  • Date: 7th April 2012
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (APRIL 6, 2012) (REUTERS) (*** FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY ***) FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN WALKING INTO ROOM BRIEFING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN CHO BYUNG-JAE SAYING: "We express deep regret over Japan's unjust territorial claim. Our government will not tolerate any attempt to challenge our territorial sovereignty. JOURNALISTS FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN CHO BYUNG-JAE SAYING: "As long as Japan insists Dokdo is its territory, the future-oriented relationship between the two countries will end in mere gesture and Japan will not be able to play a responsible role in the international community." CHO LEAVING HIROTAKA MATSUO, POLITICAL COUNCILOR AT JAPANESE EMBASSY IN SEOUL, ENTERING FOREIGN MINISTRY BUILDING VARIOUS OF MATSUO WAITING MATSUO WALKING MATSUO GETTING IN ELEVATOR
  • Embargoed: 22nd April 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Japan, Korea, Republic of
  • City:
  • Country: Japan Korea, Republic of
  • Reuters ID: LVABMFVSL93I6C7R9785G1ZCX342
  • Story Text: South Korea said on Friday (April 6) it would not tolerate Japan's territorial claim on the disputed islets.
    Seoul's Yonhap News agency reported Japan's cabinet had approved an annual foreign policy report on Friday which renewed Tokyo's territorial claim on the islands known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.
    "We express deep regret over Japan's unjust territorial claim. Our government will not tolerate any attempt to challenge our territorial sovereignty," South Korean foreign ministry spokesman Cho Byung-je read a statement.
    "As long as Japan insists Dokdo is its territory, the future-oriented relationship between the two countries will end in mere gesture and Japan will not be able to play a responsible role in the international community," Cho added.
    South Korean foreign ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, Political Councilor at Seoul's Japanese Embassy on Friday to convey its protest to the Japanese government.
    Japan's national broadcaster, NHK reported the policy paper stipulated that "based on historic facts and the international laws, Japanese government constantly holds its position that Takeshima is the original territory of Japan."
    The paper also recommended the Japanese government use diplomatic efforts to resolve the dispute peacefully, NHK reported.
    The islands, located about the same distance from the mainland's of the both countries, are a thorny issue in ties between the two neighbours.
    The waters surrounding the disputed islands are rich in marine life and popular with squid fishermen. The seabed is believed to hold deposits of natural gas hydrate worth billions of dollars.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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