The discord ignited because of Japan's plans to perform a hydrographic survey near Dokdo has been put to rest for the moment, after two days of consultations between both countries' vice foreign ministers. It is fortunate that a clash on the high seas has been avoided, but the emotions on each side are worse than they were before, making it's a whole new situation from here on in.
Japan chose to halt its survey activity until June 30 in what was a strategic retreat, having achieved much of what it set out to accomplish. It focused international attention on territorial claims on Dokdo and got Korea to delay its plans to have Dokdo's Korean name registered with the International Hydrographic Organization. Meanwhile, it also convinced Koreans in their hearts of the view that Japan is the incurable provocateur. Countries around the world probably saw Japan as a "country with a strong danger of territorial ambition" once again. That will be hard to change until Japan abandons its obsession with territorial control over Dokdo.
Our government, in turn, learned the lesson that territorial sovereignty can be guaranteed only through sovereign acts. It must not waver one inch in the future when it comes to Dokdo. For starters there is the dialogue on defining exclusive economic zones (EEZ), which resumes next month. Korea needs to assert itself and define its EEZ based on Dokdo. If it fails to rise to the occasion like last time and lets it be defined based on Ulleungdo, it could be giving Japan another chance to go on an offensive. It must also not repeat the mistake of not being thoroughly prepared at all times and getting excessively excited only when circumstances arise.
Mainstream Japanese society needs to wake up. When you compare Japan with the other defeated nation in World War II, Germany, there is all too great a difference in the way those two countries approach the understanding of history and territorial issues. We hope mainstream Japanese society gives good thought to why Japan is an economic powerhouse that causes problems with its neighbors.
The Hankyoreh, 24 April 2006.
[Translations by Seoul Selection]
