PM Han visits Dokdo in protest at Japanese claims
Seoul's prime minister on Tuesday visited Dokdo, Korea's easternmost island in the East Sea, becoming the country's first premier to travel to the almost uninhabited but historically important islands in the East Sea.
The visit follows Tokyo's renewed claim to the Korean islands, which has triggered immense public anger here and escalated tension between the two neighboring countries.
The Dokdo issue, which has deteriorated bilateral relations, resurfaced after Japan's Education Ministry announced earlier July a set of guidelines for junior high school teachers and textbook publishers that claimed Dokdo, located 216 kilometers from Jukbyeon harbor on Korea's eastern coast, as belonging to Japan.
Prime Minister Han Seung-soo said that Dokdo is "the son of our country," and "historically, geographically and legally" belongs to Korea, after arriving at the desolate islands around noon on Tuesday.
Han, accompanied by Korea's culture and transportation ministers, set up a monument engraved with the words "Dokdo belongs to Korea" and met with police guards and residents of Dokdo.
Currently, there are two civilians who live on the islands on a permanent basis due to the island's lack of basic facilities. The government is considering creating a small village to build homes for Korean fishermen who work in the nearby waters, as one of its measures to strengthen control over Dokdo.
Han also thanked Dokdo residents and security guards for their labor and effort to safeguard the Korean territory.
By Yoon Sojung
Korea.net Staff writer