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Prime Minister Han Seung-soo became the nation’s first prime minister to visit the Dokdo islets on July 29. Han arrived by helicopter, and greeted security guards and the people living on the island at a dedication ceremony for a new monument, which is inscribed with the words: “Dokdo is Korean territory.” At the ceremony, Han said, “Dokdo is our land and territory historically, geographically and according to international law.”

However, despite the diplomatic storm that has arisen around the Dokdo issue, Han’s visit seems to have been made in an effort to calm the public, but was not viewed as a substantial measure. It was only decided that Han would visit the islets on the preceding day.

Before he left, Han expressed his regret about the decision of the U.S. Board on Geographic Names to reclassify the Dokdo islets from being Korean territory to having “undesignated sovereignty,” saying that the new designation goes against historical fact. He instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to correct mistakes in the way Dokdo is identified on foreign maps.

An official of the prime minister’s office said that the reason for Han’s visit was to show the government’s will to protect its sovereignty over its territory.

However, Han has been slow in organizing a task force to manage Dokdo. During a meeting of related ministers on July 24, Han decided to form a task force to prepare measures for the islets. Five days later, the task force has still not been launched.

In comparison, the Foreign Ministry formed a task force on July 29, one day after the U.S. agency changed the information about Dokdo, and held its first meeting.

The official from the prime minister’s office said that the task force needs time to have discussions with related ministries and build the legal grounds to make a case. He added that the task force will be launched this week. The situation itself, however, is not as flexible and he will not have much time for delays.

Professor Lee Jang-hui of Hankuk University of Foreign Studies said, “The prime minister’s visit to Dokdo is symbolic, but is merely a one-time event to calm public opinion in case the government chooses not to make a continued, systematic effort to strengthen Korea’s sovereignty over the islets.”

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