In what one government minister described as "their biggest surprise attack since Pearl Harbor", the Japanese Government has shockingly and ruthlessly betrayed Korea by notifying the Korean government it would describe the islands of Dokdo as their territory in middle school textbooks scheduled for use next year. Under a simple one-word headline of "Betrayal!", in a 600-point font that actually required a special 'A0' edition of the paper to be printed, The Korea Times asked how Japan could brutally stab Korea in the back so soon after Koreans raised a record of $19.1 million for humanitarian relief following the tsunami which devastated the Sendai region.
People out on the streets of Seoul, many of whom were showing visible signs of injury from the Japanese attack, were equally outraged. "I thought our giving money to Japan was proof that we were better than them and they would admit it. I'm shocked that they still can't see that Korea is right and that the rest of the world is wrong." said 31 year-old Kim as he limped towards his office.
Online forums have been even more condemning of the Japanese betrayal. "We have been showing support for those affected by the recent earthquake and now they want to argue that Dokdo is theirs? That doesn’t make any sense. It's completely contrary to K-Logic." wrote one poster. "Since Japan is sinking, they need a place like Dokdo to relocate. We should stop gathering money for them," wrote another, "...if I had known they would act like this, I wouldn't have donated any money." Some posters are talking about going to Japan and taking their money back from the Japanese refugees "or their food and water, if they've already spent the money." One online poster seemed to sum up the national mood "so far the Korean Wave of soap operas has been what we sent to Japan, but soon I hope they feel our Korean Wave of Hatred."
Before the betrayal, there had been hope that South Korea might be about to forge a new relationship with it's neighbor to the east, which was seen as important given its rocky relations with North Korea and China to the west. But now it seems that South Korea is destined to remain on bad terms with all its neighbors as usual, and several other neighbors further down the street like Taiwan, France, Indonesia, The Philippines, the United States, and other members of the so-called "United Nations".
The rocky Dokdo outcrops, whose rapidly eroding 0.18 square kilometers is home to over 7,300 Koreans and absolutely no Japanese, has officially been South Korean territory since it was formally invaded in 1954. But everybody in Korea knows that Koreans have occupied the rocks since they were formed 4.5 million years ago, even though this truth is untruthfully denied by the Japanese – who incorrectly call Dokdo "Takeshima", and everybody else in the world – who incorrectly call them the "Liancourt Rocks" just because an obscure intergovernmental body which goes by the name of the "United Nations" officially designates them as 'disputed' territory. This is clearly wrong because there is clearly no dispute in Korea. Korea has consistently declined Japan's offer to take the matter to the International Court of Justice, saying it is very busy - not because it wouldn't win because obviously it would.
The Government is said to be very angry over the Japanese betrayal, especially the way in which Tokyo is brainwashing its children with historical distortions under the cover of an education system which is clearly little more than a cover for political indoctrination. In South Korea, children are taught the truth about Korea's rightful ownership of Dokdo. The Education Minister, 52 year-old Kim, said that education should never be politicized, "It's important that educational textbooks always present both sides of a debate – in this case the fact that Dokdo is Korean territory and the fact that the Japanese are wrong and betrayers of the Korean people." he said as he toured an elementary school in Seoul yesterday. "The evil Japanese should be ashamed of themselves for trying to brainwash their children!" chanted a class of 6 year-olds who had been gathered in front of journalists during the tour.
Related Links
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GlobalSecurity.org: Liancourt Rocks/Takeshima/Dokdo
Why Won't the Koreans Take Up Japan's Offer to Bring the Dokdo Issue before the ICJ?
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