The Japanese Embassy Upset Over 'Dokdo Painting'... Returns President Moon's Lunar New Year Gift

'Dokdo Drawn' Stubbornness... Embassy of Japan in Korea Returns President Moon's Lunar New Year Gift
(Tokyo=Yonhap News) It has been revealed that the Embassy of Japan in Korea refused to accept a Lunar New Year gift from President Moon Jae-in because it contained a drawing of Dokdo.
According to Japanese media including Kyodo News on the 22nd, the Embassy of Japan in Korea returned the Lunar New Year gift box sent by the Blue House in the names of President Moon and First Lady Kim Jung-sook to Ambassador Aiboshi Koichi (相星孝一) the previous day.
The reason for the return was reportedly that the gift box had a drawing reminiscent of Dokdo.
The photo shows the gift box sent by the Blue House containing traditional liquor and chestnuts to various social sectors and ambassadors of different countries for the Lunar New Year. 2022.1.22 [Yonhap News file photo]
Photo by Yonhap News
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[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jun-hyung] It has been revealed that the Japanese Embassy in Korea refused to accept President Moon Jae-in's Lunar New Year gift. The reason was that the gift contained a drawing of Dokdo.

According to Japanese media such as Nippon TV and Mainichi Shimbun on the 22nd, the Japanese Embassy in Korea returned the Lunar New Year gift box sent by the Blue House in the names of President Moon and First Lady Kim Jung-sook to Ambassador Aiboshi Koichi (相星孝一) the day before. The reason for the return was that the gift box had a drawing reminiscent of Dokdo. The Japanese Embassy reportedly protested to the Korean government upon returning the gift, stating that "(Dokdo) is historically and under international law Japan's inherent territory and cannot be accepted under any circumstances."

Earlier, the Blue House sent gift sets containing traditional liquor and chestnuts to ambassadors of various countries in celebration of the Lunar New Year. The outside of the gift box depicted a sunrise scene with an island in the background. The Japanese Embassy claimed that this island reminded them of Dokdo.

Originally, the president's holiday gift boxes were made with simple traditional patterns. However, the Moon Jae-in administration has been using various designs such as Sipjangsaengdo and Ilwolobongdo. It is interpreted that this year's design, symbolizing the determination to make this year the first year of overcoming COVID-19, features a sunrise scene with Dokdo, where the sun rises first in Korea, as the background.

The Japanese government has also asserted its claim over Dokdo this month. On the 17th of this month, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa (林芳正) stated in a regular parliamentary foreign affairs speech that "Takeshima (竹島, the name Japan claims for Dokdo) is Japan's inherent territory." In response, the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a spokesperson's statement demanding, "The Japanese government must immediately cease its futile claims and attempts regarding Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law."