Defense Minister Shin Won-sik: "I Have Not Agreed to the Claim of Sovereignty over Dokdo"

Clarification on SNS Controversy During National Assembly Tenure

Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik stated on the 3rd that he has never agreed with Japan's unjust claim of sovereignty over Dokdo.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister Shin issued a statement on the same day to clarify the controversy that arose when he wrote on social media (SNS) during his time as a member of the National Assembly that "there is a sovereignty dispute over Dokdo between Korea and Japan." He explained, "The expression 'sovereignty dispute over Dokdo' recorded on SNS during my time as a member of the National Assembly was written in the sense that Japan is attempting a territorial dispute."

Minister Shin claimed in a post titled "Regret over the National Defense Committee, Five Public Questions to Representative Lee Jae-myung" posted on Facebook on March 23 last year that "it is true that there is a dispute over past history and Dokdo sovereignty between Korea and Japan." He recalled that he mentioned on the SNS, "It is natural to always pay attention to and be vigilant about Japan's various behaviors, especially regarding past history and Dokdo sovereignty," and emphasized, "I have never agreed with Japan's groundless claims."

He added that during the confirmation hearing as a ministerial nominee in September last year, he also stated his position that "Japan's claim of sovereignty over Dokdo must be strongly protested and firmly rejected."

The claim that a territorial dispute over Dokdo is ongoing contradicts the official position of our government that Dokdo is Korea's inherent territory and that no territorial dispute exists regarding Dokdo.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of National Defense announced on the same day that it strongly protested to Japan and urged corrective measures after the Japan Meteorological Agency included Dokdo in the tsunami (seismic sea wave) advisory area as if it were Japanese territory on the 1st.