Japanese Embassy Rejects Lunar New Year Gift Featuring 'Dokdo Painting'... Seok-kyung Deok Calls It a Trick to Create a Disputed Area

Professor Seokyeongdeok: "The Japanese Government's Series of Actions Are Clear 'Territorial Provocations'"

The Embassy of Japan in Korea returned the Lunar New Year gift sent by the Blue House under the names of President Moon Jae-in and First Lady Kim Jung-sook, citing the reason that it featured a painting of Dokdo./Photo by Seokyungdeok, Professor at Sungshin Women's University, Facebook capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoon Seul-gi] Professor Seo Kyung-duk of Sungshin Women's University criticized the refusal and protest by the Japanese Embassy in Korea to accept the Lunar New Year gift box from President Moon Jae-in because it depicted Dokdo, calling it a "cunning strategy to turn Dokdo into an international dispute area."

On the morning of the 24th, Professor Seo posted on his Facebook, saying, "The actions of the Japanese government are clear 'territorial provocations.'"

Earlier, on the 21st, 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 Koichi Aiboshi, protesting that "considering historical facts and international law, it is Japan's inherent territory and absolutely unacceptable."

Professor Seo pointed out other examples of 'territorial provocations,' such as Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi's claim on the 17th during the regular parliamentary foreign affairs speech that "Takeshima (the name Japan claims for Dokdo) is Japan's inherent territory," and the Japan Meteorological Agency issuing a tsunami warning after an underwater volcano near the South Pacific island nation Tonga erupted, marking Dokdo as Japanese territory on its website.

Professor Seo emphasized, "To avoid falling into such cunning tactics by the Japanese government, it is necessary to strengthen external publicity using 'cultural tourism content.' Currently, since the world is greatly interested in 'K-content,' it is very important to introduce Dokdo culturally and naturally, activate Dokdo tourism further, and strengthen effective control."

Finally, Professor Seo suggested, "These are things Japan can never do, so we, who have effective control, should steadily create cultural content on Dokdo."