Dokdo dispute

[bhchao]

The dispute between Korea and Japan over Dokdo has escalated recently with the dispatch of two Japanese maritime survey boats to the islets.

Korea says that Japan has no right to dispatch the boats into Dokdo waters because the islets has historically been under the sovereignty of Korea (since Shilla during the Three Kingdoms period).

Japan claims that Dokdo has belonged to Japan since 1905 when a prefecture passed an ordinance claiming jurisdiction over it.

Korea argues that this action was illegitimate because it coincided with Japan's colonial takeover of the Korean peninsula in 1905, and thus symbolized Japan's imperialistic tendencies of the time.

Seoul perceives the dispatch of the survey boats to Dokdo as a calculated move by Japan to heighten tensions over the islets in order to move the issue into an international court. This is unacceptable to Seoul because Dokdo has historically been under the sovereignty of Korea (which historical documents have proven) until 1905, when Japan seized control of it. The islets were legally returned to Korea after the Japanese surrender in 1945.

In response to the dispatch of the Japanese survey boats to Dokdo, Korea has mobilized a patrol of Coast Guard boats around the Dokdo waters.

This escalating dispute resembles the Cuban Missile Crisis when American naval ships were ordered to face down incoming Soviet ships, and if necessary, perform stop and seizure procedures. The Americans were very fortunate when approaching Soviet ships turned back after the naval encounter, prompting Secretary of State Dean Rusk to say "We're eyeball to eyeball, and I think the other guy just blinked."

But will the Japanese survey boat (possibly accompanied by its own Coast Guard boats) turn back after encountering the Korean Coast Guard patrol? If the Korean Coast Guard decide to seize and search the vessel, Japan may sue Korea for violating international seizure rules. Thus Korea may fall into a trap set by Japan by seizing the boat. Forcing it to turn back is probably the best course of action to take.

One of the possible reasons for Japan dispatching the boats is to test the Korean response and resolve regarding this issue.

http://www.koreaherald.co.kr/SITE/data/html_dir/2006/04/20/200604200038.asp

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/19/AR2006041901348.html

[novemberfog]

The best thing for the Korean Navy to do is keep applying pressure. Follow the Japanese Self Defence boats everywhere, and in rather close proximity. Seizing the boats would definately be a mistake. But putting a lot of pressure, making it hard to travel around the waters, and being rentless about this might make the boats turn back. Korea has to be firm about their stance.

[bhchao]

Japan's intentions to take the Dokdo dispute to the international court contradicts its position on the Diaoyutai issue with China.

In contrast to its stance on Dokdo, Japan would try to do whatever it takes to prevent the Diaoyutai dispute from reaching the international court, since it already has loose control of Diaoyutai.

China can advocate taking Diaoyutai to the international court, something that Japan wants to avoid at all costs, since Japan wants to do the same thing regarding Dokdo.

So Japan's insistence on taking the Dokdo issue to court can become a double-edged sword.