S. Korea urges Japan to withdraw proposal to refer territorial dispute to int'l court
- Kim Junghyun
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E-mail Xinhua, August 21, 2012
S. Korea urges Japan to withdraw proposal to refer territorial dispute to int'l court
SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- South Korea on Tuesday renewed its call on Japan to withdraw its proposal to refer their longstanding territorial dispute over a set of islets to the International Court of Justice (ICJ), calling the move "regrettable".
"We strongly urge (Japan) to immediately stop its ungrounded territorial claims" over the South Korean-controlled islets, known as Dokdo here and Takeshima in Japan, Seoul's foreign ministry spokesman Cho Tae-young told reporters.
"Dokdo is South Korea's territory historically, geographically and by international law, and is not an area in dispute," Cho added.
The latest call came as Tokyo plans to send Seoul a diplomatic document formally suggesting the two sides bring the dispute to the Hague-based court.
The move is seen as a response to South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's high-profile visit to the islets earlier this month, which prompted strong protests from Japan.
Officials here have repeatedly dismissed Japan's proposal, the third such proposal following two botched attempts in 1954 and 1962, saying it is "not even worthy of consideration".
The ICJ will not hear the case unless the two contending parties agree to the referral.
Lying equidistant between the two countries, the lonely set of islets coveted for rich mineral resources in the surrounding waters has been a chronic source of diplomatic row between the two Asian neighbors.
South Korea has maintained its control over the rocky outcroppings since it regained independence from Japan's 1910-45 colonial occupation of the Korean peninsula.
With the two countries still at odds over a number of historical issues, many South Koreans see recurring territorial disputes as a sign of an unrepentant Japan.
Last month, South Korea's attempt to forge its first military pact with Japan since the end of the colonial rule was thwarted at the last minute by the outraged public weary of Japan's resurgent military ambitions. Enditem
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