Pacific's Next Big Dispute: South Korean Lawmakers Visit Disputed Dokdo Islands

Saturday’s visit by six South Korean (Republic of Korea or ROK) lawmakers to a group of small islands located in the Sea of Japan is sure to raise some eyebrows in Tokyo. Might this be the start of another big dispute between the two Asian countries?

The islands in question are called Dokdo by the ROK; Japan calls them Takeshima. National Geographic, in a November 2018 article, described the islands as “seemingly inconsequential craggy islets." They lie equidistant between Japan and Korea in the Sea of Japan and have been the subject of disputes between the two countries for well over 300 years. Seoul has controlled them since 1945 when Tokyo's 35-year colonial rule over the Korean peninsula ended.

An official from Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kenji Kanasugi, released a statement on Saturday that said the visits, “cannot be accepted and is extremely regrettable, given that Takeshima is Japan’s inherent territory in light of historical facts and international laws.”

The ROK still holds resentment for the Japanese occupation and its abhorrent behavior during WW 2 where Koreans and other people were used as forced labor and subjected to other atrocities. Relations have soured even further over the past year with South Korean’s highest court ruling that the Japanese pay even more reparations. Japan began imposing trade restrictions in July that angered the South Koreans.

Visits to the Dokdo Islands by South Korean citizens and political figures seem to increase during times of increased tensions with Japan. The tourists will circle the islands and even land during good weather where some people will unfurl the South Korean flag and exclaim, “Dokdo is our land!” When lawmakers make a rare visit as they did on Saturday, the Japanese are quick to protest.

This year, ferry trips to the islands have increased by nearly 30 percent from 2018 with over 170,000 South Koreans making the approximately 200 km trip from the South Korean coast. The South Koreans have also begun to stage large military drills around the islands deploying warships, jets and commandos from their army and navy.

More alarming is that South Korea recently terminated a U.S.-brokered intelligence-sharing deal with Japan that was meant to improve cooperation between the two American allies.

While this is not likely to become the Pacific’s next big dispute, the relationship between South Korea and Japan will not improve in the foreseeable future unless China or another country makes a move that unites the two countries. Surprisingly, North Korea supports its southern neighbor with its claims on the rocky islands.