Civic group to hold protest meeting in Japan over Dokdo

Published : Feb 20, 2017 - 13:20 Updated : Feb 20, 2017 - 13:20

Members of a group promoting South Korea's sovereignty over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo will make a visit to Japan this week to protest against an annual ceremony stressing Tokyo's claim to the islets, the group said Monday.

In a rally in front of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, the group said a five-person delegation will leave for Japan the same day before taking part in the "Takeshima Day" ceremony in Matsue, Japan's Shimane Prefecture, as protesters.

This file photo, dated Feb. 22, 2013, shows people shouting slogans during a rally at city hall in the city of Seongnam, just south of Seoul to denounce Japan for holding an annual event the same day in Matsue, Japan's Shimane Prefecture, to promote its claim to the South Korean easternmost islets of Dokdo. (Yonhap)

In 2005, Shimane, which claims administrative sovereignty over the islets, designated Feb. 22 as a day to promote Takeshima, the Japanese name for Dokdo. Since then, Shimane has hosted various programs to strengthen its territorial claims to the islets on this day.

At the rally, the group also accused the Japanese government of releasing a draft guideline on the school curriculum as part of efforts to require that Dokdo be stated as Japan's territory in school courses.

Other than the territorial issue, the group criticized Japan for its actions related to the installation of statues symbolizing South Korean women sexually enslaved by the Japanese military during Tokyo's colonial rule period (1910-45).

Choi Jae-ik, leader of the group, said, "We will let the entire world know about the unfortunate destiny of Korean women and the unhappy history of the Korean people, brought on by Japan."

The delegation is scheduled to arrive in Osaka later in the day and hold a protest meeting at the South Korean Consulate General in the western Japanese city and head to Matsue, the capital of the western Japanese prefecture, the next day.

On Wednesday, the delegation will hold a press conference for Japanese and foreign reporters at 10:00 a.m., a rally in front of the Shimane prefectural government building and a street march to voice their objection to Japan's frequent claims to Dokdo and call for Takeshima Day to be repealed.

It marked the 13th consecutive year for the group to send a delegation to lodge a protest over the ceremony. (Yonhap)