If Japan considers it so important, we also should give equal recognition to its value and match Japan’s claims. We must mount a systematic and specific strategy, rather than confronting it emotionally, to secure Dokdo as part of our country.
How do Koreans view Dokdo? We revisit the subject of Dokdo on the occasion of 65th anniversary of the Independence Day.
▶ Disclosure of the 30-year diplomatic documents of Japan Foreign Office?
Beginning from May 25th of this year, the Japanese Foreign Office enacted regulations regarding the publication of diplomatic records which requires the opening up of all diplomatic documents after thirty years. The subject of the extent to which documents regarding Korean-Japanese diplomacy, including those from the Korean-Japanese Conference, will be opened up is gaining a good deal of attention.
The new rule requires that all diplomatic documents from the past be automatically opened to the public thirty years after they are drawn up. In order to make exceptions to prevent that some be opened to the public, approval must be obtained through a process of evaluation by the commission for opening of diplomatic documents to the public, including foreign experts, and the approval of the foreign minister.
▶ Opening to the Public of 1965 Korean-Japanese Conference Documents?
According to this new Japanese law, the 1965 Korean-Japanese Conference documents are included in documents which will automatically be opened to the public. Although Japan has made about 60,000 pages of 2007 and 2008 Korean-Japanese conference documents open to the public, it has expunged 25%, making them unavailable for investigation.
Recently, regarding an appeal for making information on this issue public, the Foreign Office made the following statement about the documents regarding Dokdo from the Korean-Japanese Conference, “If this issue pending resolution were made open to the public, it might become very disadvantageous to us” and have enacted a policy to prevent opening the information to the public.
▶ Is a Japanese court prohibiting documents from the Korean-Japanese Conference regarding possession of Dokdo from being opened to the public?
The Japanese court supported the move to prevent the 1965 Korea-Japanese Conference documents regarding possession of Dokdo from being opened to the public, despite the existence of a law regarding the opening up to the public of 30-year-old diplomatic documents,
The Japanese Court stated, “These should not be made open to the public because it could interfere with normalization of diplomatic relations with Japan and can aggravate territorial problems with Korea, and this was the decision the Tokyo Regional Court of Law made last year.
▶ What do the Japanese-Korean Conference documents say?
These documents related to Dokdo which are not being disclosed are from an illegal treaty between the Korean Empire and Japanese Empire. Japan forced Korea into the 1904 Japan-Korea Protocol, the Eulsa Treaty of 1905, the 1907 Korea-Japan Treaty, and a series of other treaties relating to the annexation of Korea into Japan, and these are all therefore illegal treaties and therefore invalid. However, although Japan claims that these are all legal treaties, Korea’s position is that they became invalid with Korea’s independence. This conflict between Korea and Japan became the subject of debate starting during the 1960s talks to normalize diplomatic relations. After the expressions “null and void” and Japan’s “already null and void” were in opposition for a while, the problem was solved with the vague phrase “already null and void,” which allows some room for differences in interpretation.
The small difference between “null and void” and “already null and void” causes huge conflicts. It is reported “already null and void” was decided on for economic aid to be received and conditions of trade. As a result, although Japan must release the contents of the Japanese-Korea Conference documents, it has other plans.
▶ The only we can preserve our land is by continuing to show interest in Dokdo.
Japan is unwavering in its strategic approach to Dokdo. We gradually get used to the situation as we become distracted by a succession of other important issues. We shouldn’t do this. We cannot only give our attention to this situation when Japan makes claims.
It is urgent that we adopt a strategic approach as the Japanese have done. We must devote the efforts of all Koreans to strengthening our valid power over Dokdo for a mid-to-long-term strategy and destroying Japanese strategies at their source, rather than having an emotional approach.
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