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| ▲ Ruling People Power Party floor leader Rep. Yun Jae-ok (L) shakes hands with his main opposition Democratic Party counterpart, Rep. Hong Ihk-pyo, at the National Assembly in Seoul, in this file photo taken Oct. 4, 2023. (Pool photo) (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Children wearing T-shirts with an illustration of Dokdo wave South Korea's national flag at an event celebrating rocky outcroppings in the southeastern city of Daegu on Oct. 25, 2023. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ South Korea's national flag is seen next to the easternmost islets of Dokdo, in this file photo taken Oct. 23, 2023. (Yonhap) |
rival parties-Dokdo
Rival parties express commitment to Dokdo
By Kang Jae-eun
SEOUL, Oct. 25 (Yonhap) -- The ruling and the main opposition parties denounced Japan's territorial claims over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo on Wednesday as they marked "Dokdo Day."
"While the reestablishment of a future-oriented relationship between South Korea and Japan has opened discussions for cooperation in fields such as security and economy, the territorial dispute issue is an independent matter," Rep. Park Jeong-ha, chief spokesperson of the ruling People Power Party (PPP), said.
Park said the government and the PPP will make legal and legislative efforts to protect the islets, and urged Japan to stop its "thoughtless words and wrongful claims" over Dokdo.
The main opposition Democratic Party (DP) also denounced Japan's claims over Dokdo, but it also accused the government of President Yoon Suk Yeol of making too many concessions to Tokyo, including consenting to Tokyo's release of radioactive water into the ocean.
"People are concerned that the government might even give up Dokdo. We urged President Yoon to become a president who safeguards the territory and national interests of South Korea," Rep. Kwon Chil-seung, the DP's chief spokesperson, said.
Japan's territorial claim over Dokdo has long been a key source of diplomatic friction in relations with South Korea, where many people still harbor deep anti-Japanese resentment for its brutal 1910-45 colonial rule.
South Korea keeps a small police detachment on the islets, effectively controlling Dokdo.
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