Liancourt Rocks
The Liancourt Rocks are a group of islands in the Sea of Japan, charged on both Japan and South Korea territorial claims. Since the beginning of Japanese colonial rule over Korea until 1945, these islands were administered by Japan. Since 1953, the islands of South Korea are effectively managed. To obtain any position in the conflict, in part, the English name Liancourt Rocks is used by third countries that was given to them in 1849 by an eponymous French whaling ship. Another international, but nowadays hardly used name is the name Hornet Islands, which was given to the rock by the eponymous British warship in 1855.
- 3.1 Current Situation
Geography
The Liancourt Rocks are an archipelago made up of two smaller, mountainous rocky islands, which are surrounded by 33 smaller still rocks. The total land area is about 0.2 km ² (compared to the main island of Heligoland is about 1 km ² ).
The Liancourt Rocks are volcanic in origin and are 183 meters apart.
The western island (Japanese Otoko -jima =男 岛, literally " Male Island", . Kor Seodo = 서도 =西 岛, literally " Western Island", 37 ° 14 ' 29 " N, 131 ° 51' 58 " O37.241388888889131.86611111111 ) stands 157 meters from the sea.
The eastern island (Japanese Onna -jima =女 岛, literally "Female Island ."; Kor Dongdo = 동도 =东 岛, literally "Eastern Island", 37 ° 14 ' 23 " N, 131 ° 52' 14" O37.239722222222131.87055555556 ) is lower and flatter than the western island.
Location
The Liancourt Rocks are almost exactly on an imaginary center line between the main Japanese island of Honshu and the Korean peninsula. So the rocks are about 210 km north from Honshū, approximately 215 km east of the South Korean coast and about 328 km southeast of the North Korean mainland.
However, Japan and South Korea Manage islands in the Sea of Japan, the closer to the Liancourt Rocks are located as the coasts themselves The seen from the rocks next big and populated islands of Japan are the Oki Islands. These are about 157 km south-east of the rocks. The Oki Islands are in turn 70 km north of Japan's main island Honshu. The next big and populated island under South Korean administration is Ulleungdo. It is located about 90 km west of the Liancourt Rocks. From Ulleungdo from is approximately 120 km to the South Korean coast.
Management
The membership of the rocks is currently unclear. Both countries have included it in their administrative divisions:
In Japan, the rocks were placed under the direct administrative control of the community and thus the Shimane Prefecture Okinoshima. In South Korea, it was the island of Ulleungdo and thus the Gyeongsang region assumed, however, they are managed by the Ministry of Fisheries.
History and claims
In Korean history Samguk Sagi recording, which has been dated to the year 1145, an island name Usan -do is ( 우산, Hanja :于 山) mentioned. There, the islands are part of the Korean island state Usan - guk ( Hangeul 우산국, Hanja :于 山 国) listed on Ulleungdo. According to South Korean interpretation, these are the first known mention of Liancourt Islands. South Korea's claim based on the fact that after Silla, in the year 930 Usan - guk Goryeo was a protectorate, and the administration of the islands went directly to his demise on the government of the Korean mainland. However, another interpretation is carried out by the Japanese side. After that Usan -do is another name for Jukdo, a barrier island of Ulleungdo.
According to Japanese sources, received in 1618 the dealer Ōya Jinkichi (大谷 甚 吉) and Murakawa Ichibe (村 川 市 兵卫) to drive from Yonago from the Tokugawa shogunate permission Ulleungdo, where they used the islands as a stop. 1661 families received both official permission to visit the island group itself. As in 1696 the shogunate because of disputes over fishing rights of Ulleungdo any trips to Korea said the Liancourt Rocks were excluded. The archipelago was called in Japanese at that time Matsushima (Japanese松 岛, literally " Pine Island" ).
Early 1900s were on the islands - now Takeshima (竹 岛, literally " bamboo island " ) or Ryanko -shima (りやんこ島/リャンコ 島, with Ryanko as Japanese pronunciation of Liancourt ) because Matsushima now Ulleungdo labeled - extensive sea lions hunted. Therefore requested on 29 September 1904, the fishing Yoshizaburō Nakai (中 井 养 三郎), the Home Office, the Foreign Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce therefore to incorporate the island group in the state association, and then lease the use for 10 years. On 28 January 1905, the Japanese cabinet this request was authorized on the basis of terra nullius - principle and put the official names on Takeshima (literally " Bamboo Island " ) firmly. On February 22, the group of islands then the Oki Island Administration (隠 岐 岛 庁) was added to the Shimane Prefecture. On April 24, 1939 initially followed by integration into the community Goka (now Okinoshima ), on August 17, 1940 but with the handover to the Navy Supports point Maizuru the statement a closed military zone.
After Japan's defeat against the Allies, the islands were withdrawn by the SCAP instruction No. 677 of 22 January 1946, the Japanese government authority. However, the command said that this was not a " final determination " on the fate of the island group. All other islands that have been mentioned in this command, were later returned to Korea.
The Treaty of San Francisco in 1952, which clarifies the sovereignty of most other disputed islands, does not mention the Liancourt Rocks. However, considered the Allies, specifically the Americans, who were responsible for this area, the islands belonging to those times as to Japan, even after the Treaty of San Francisco went into effect.
On April 20, 1953 South Korean volunteers placed a coast guard station on one of the islands. On June 27, 1953 landed two Japanese coast guard vessels on the eastern island, expelled South Korean guards and put on a territorial marker, but attempted no permanent occupation. After the withdrawal of the Japanese in 1954, the South Koreans returned in the same year, followed by several armed skirmishes followed, culminating on 21 April 1954 in the sinking of a Japanese ship by South Korean mortar fire. Japan protested and suggested referral to the International Court of Justice, this was however rejected by South Korea. After this incident, South Korea built a lighthouse, a helipad and a police station on the eastern island.
Current Situation
The issue of sovereignty over the islands was left out of the agreement in principle between South Korea and Japan from 1965 and still raise both sides territorial claims. South Korea makes this clear, among other things through the deployment of a unit of the South Korean police.
The U.S. is pursuing a policy of non-recognition of the claims of both sides, although some private memoranda, which are found in the external relations of the United States 1949-1951, appear to support the Japanese perception of light and therefore sometimes cited as "proof" of American support be. However, the U.S. Embassy in South Korea said in a press statement: "The U.S. policy in the Dokdo / Takeshima dispute was and will be that the United States shall take no position on the claims of Korea nor for Japan. Our hope is that the two countries settle the dispute amicably. "
The dispute flared up again on a regular basis, usually when Japan and South Korea to change the status quo of the islands (eg in 1996 by the construction of a shipyard or 2004, the Declaration on the National Park, which led to a strengthening of the claim by Japan). In 2002, two Japanese textbooks were published, which featured South Korea's claim to the islands in question, there were protests in South Korea.
A survey was carried out in both countries, showed that Japanese interest in the issue of territorial claims was lower than that of South Koreans surveyed. However, it should be noted at this result that both in Japan and in South Korea is made from grade school in a one-sided influence on the students regarding the membership of the islands. South Koreans reported the archipelago often ostentatiously on small-scale official and other cards. Some media they close out the weather forecast with a.
The Parliament of the Japanese Shimane Prefecture decided on 10 March 2005, 22 February, ie the date on which the island group has been administratively affiliated with the Prefecture hundred years before, to explain to celebrate the annual " Takeshima Day". This symbolic act hit in both countries and waves result was the deferral of the planned visit by the South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs in Japan. Moreover, the country head of the South Korean police ( 20 man) led a symbolic visit at the stationed on the island unit. Furthermore, North Korea and South Korea agreed a cooperation in which North Korea will support the claims of South Korea.
The initiative of South Korea, to give some undersea formations Korean names, led in April 2006 to try Japan to send a research vessel in the disputed region. Only the strong opposition to South Korea and the threat of military force led to the posting of a Japanese special envoy and - preliminary - mutual waiver.
After the Japanese Ministry of Education had recommended in July 2008 in a non-binding curriculum guideline to treat the islands in the classroom as Japanese territory, South Korea announced that temporarily withdraw its ambassador from Tokyo. The leader of the ruling Hannara Dang in Parliament, Hong Joon- pyo, " a century not unlike its imperialist approach earlier than plundering the Korean peninsula " described the current approach of Japan in a parliamentary debate as. Meanwhile taught with books on Japanese elementary and secondary schools, which represent the Liancourt Rocks as Japanese territory.
Up to 1800 South Korean visitors come daily to the rocky island, which actually has no tourist infrastructure, due to the unpredictable weather and the frequent high waves can also only 60 % of the vessels also land.
In April 2011, the dispute was by the approval of textbooks in Japan, in which the islands are represented as Japanese territory, cheered again. However, serious consequences of the opposing views were raised.
On August 10, 2012, the South Korean President Lee Myung -bak visited as the first president of South Korea, the island group, which led to renewed diplomatic tensions between Japan and South Korea.
During the Olympic Games in London, the conflict caused also an uproar. After winning football game against Japan, the South Korean midfielder Park Jong -woo got a sign at the camera with the inscription: " Dokdo is our territory" and thus took the subsequent withdrawal of his Olympic medal on the basis of political messages during the Olympic Games in purchasing.
Background
The dispute over the Liancourt Rocks is partially symbolic. The island has no major military value but rich gas deposits be presumed in the island. There is officially a South Korean fishing couple as residents. However, the sovereign rights in the surrounding sea areas are economically significant. This is due to the rich fish and crab grounds around the two islands.
A South Korean companies suspected there also large reserves of methane that would be for both nations economically advantageous.
The fact that the conflict can be resolved in the near future is unlikely. Any compromise would be a dangerous precedent for Japan, as the country Dispute leads to other islands with Russia and China.