S. Korea dismisses Japan's decision to refer territorial dispute to int'l court
- Kim Junghyun
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E-mail Xinhua, August 17, 2012
S. Korea dismisses Japan's decision to refer territorial dispute to int'l court
SEOUL, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- South Korea dismissed Japan's decision Friday to refer the longstanding territorial dispute with South Korea over a set of islets to the International Court of Justice.
Officials here have repeatedly said the South Korean-controlled islets are not an area in dispute and the country will not respond to Japan's proposal to take the issue to the court.
The Hague-based court will not hear the case unless the two contending parties agree to the referral.
Lying equidistant between the two countries, the lonely set of outcroppings known as Dokdo here and Takeshima in Japan has been a chronic source of diplomatic row.
The acrimony reached a peak in recent days after South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's high-profile visit to the sparsely inhabited islets coveted for rich mineral resources in its surrounding waters.
The trip, which came after Japan renewed its sovereignty claim in the latest defense white paper, prompted Japan to summon its envoy here in protest.
Lee, adding fuel to the fire, said earlier this week that Japanese emperor Akihito should sincerely apologize to those who died for liberation from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule if he intends to visit South Korea.
He voiced a similar sentiment Wednesday in a speech marking the 67th anniversary of the country's independence from Japan, urging the former colonizer to resolve outstanding disputes over Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japan during WWII.
With the two Asian neighbors long at odds over historical issues, many South Koreans see the recurring disputes as a sign of an unrepentant Japan.
South Korea's attempt to forge its first military pact with Japan was thwarted at the last minute last month by the outraged public weary of Japan's resurgent military ambitions. Enditem
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