S.Korea Tries Branding of its Own Islands Territory

아주경제 송지영 기자=Although the Japanese refer to the group of islands in the Sea of Japan as Takeshima, South Korea is very committed on letting the world know that Dokdo island is in their sovereign territory.

Although both countries point to historical documents back to their claims, South Korea has occupied the Islands for more than half a century.

In 2010, the Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon was behind a months-long video advertisement in New York‘s Times Square that not only specifically proclaimed Dokdo as Korean territory but also made sure to refer to the sea in which they are located the East Sea, as opposed to the Sea of Japan.

In 2008, the president of the Korean Dry Cleaners Association in the US produced plastic bags emblazoned with a picture and a map of the disputed island along with the English slogans “Dokdo Island is Korean territory” and “The Japanese government must acknowledge this fact,” which were taken up by about 100 Korean dry cleaners in New York.

Without any apparent irony, it states: “For as long as we can remember, there has been much controversy over the island and the ownership of it. Instead of appreciating the beauty of Dokdo, the world has been too busy fighting over it.”

Park Sae-jin swatchsjp@ajunews.com