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Political Counselor of the Korean Embassy in Japan attempts to return a letter on Dokdo from the Japanese Prime Minister

By Park Byong-su and Ahn Chang-hyun, staff reporters and Jeong Nam-ku, Tokyo correspondent

The Korean government is showing a stronger stance in dealing with the tensions mounting with Japan concerning recent events surrounding the Dokdo. The government’s renewed position was displayed clearly through a series of actions. On August 23, it decided to return a letter that was sent to President Lee Myung-bak by Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) will send an official diplomatic letter of protest in response to comments made the day before by Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba that Korea is “unlawfully occupying” Dokdo.

Tensions have grown since President Lee’s August 10 visit to Dokdo and his August 13 comment that ‘Japan no longer has the influence it used to have.’ The biggest blow came the following day through a comment asking Japanese Emperor Akhito to apologize for Japan’s past wrongdoings. For a while, it looked as if Seoul was easing up, saying that Korea may ease up on physical control of Dokdo.

The new posture comes in reaction to the aggression that the Japanese has shown in dealing with this issue, not to mention criticism by the Korean public pointing out the lack of a strategy to secure Korea’s rightful claim on Dokdo. The Korean government’s choice reflects the worry that this diplomatic friction could provide a pretext for Japan to turn Dokdo into an international dispute.

South Korean Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Cho Tae-young at his regular media briefing criticized point by point Japan’s position on Dokdo. Cho explained that Prime Minister Noda’s letter addressed to the president was conscious of the fact that it contained inappropriate expressions such as, “President Lee Myung-bak landed in Takeshima, located in Sinema Prefecture in Japan…” Cho said that such an island did not exist. “The place that President Lee visited was Dokdo Island, at Ulleung District in North Gyeongsang Province,” stressed the spokesperson, adding that it was not Korea but Japan who crossed the line of diplomatic civility. In addition, Cho pointed out further breaches of diplomatic practices, especially, making the content of the letter public before it was delivered to the Korean government. In addition to returning the letter to the Prime Minister, an official diplomatic letter was sent out with the reason behind the return.

In the briefing, Cho said that another separate official letter protesting the comment made by Minister Genba will be sent out shortly. “Japan’s refusal to reflect upon their past wrongdoings and continued inappropriate comments will only hinder future bilateral relations,” the spokesperson said.

Cho also demanded that Minister Genba’s comment be withdrawn with word that they will not repeated in the future. The sternness displayed by the Ministry spokesman run parallel to MOFAT‘s action taken in returning the letter by the Prime Minister who had claimed dominion over the Dokdo islets.

The spokesperson of the Japanese government, Chief Cabinet Secretary Fujimura Osamu held a press conference in Japan on the same day and said that Korea’s return of its Prime Minister’s letter is “not standard diplomatic practice” and expressed strong disapproval.

In the morning of August 23, the South Korean embassy in Tokyo contacted the Japanese Foreign Ministry to inform them of plans to return the letter, but the ministry said they would refuse to accept it. Later that day, Kim Ki-hong, Political Counselor of the Korean Embassy in Japan, was refused entry to the Japanese Foreign Ministry building when trying to return the letter.

The South Korean government has since decided to return the letter by registered mail. It is scheduled to be delivered on August 24.

Foreign Minister Genba had stated before the Japanese Diet that the return of a letter is a violation of diplomatic protocol and that the Ministry was considering refusal of the returned letter. For a while, tensions between the two sides appeared to have subsided as Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Masatoshi Muto was reinstalled to his post. But with the letter of the Prime Minister being tossed from one side to the other, this may open a new stage of tensions between the two countries.

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]