South Korea-Japan tension simmers over islands
Updated
South Korea has tightened security around a group of islands, amid rising tension with Japan over the long-running territorial dispute.
Seoul this week recalled its ambassador to Japan, after Tokyo issued new educational guidelines calling for Japanese students to understand their country's claim over the islands. Japan has called for calm, even as security was tightened around the Japanese embassy in Seoul, following several small protests.
Presenter: Sen Lam
Speakers: Dr David Hundt, lecturer in international relations at Deakin University in Melbourne
LAM: David Hundt, tell us more about these disputed islands?
HUNDT: Well I think as you said in your introduction, it is certainly a long running dispute and it's something that seems to crop up again every few years. So certainly, in one way there is nothing terribly new in this dispute. But it is worth noting of course to that both sides have with the coming into power of a new president in South Korea earlier this year, both have called for a new era of improved relations and have also sort to ensure that this instant doesn't override sort of wider interests.
LAM: And, I'm just a bit puzzled why Seoul is so angry that the Japanese Government decided to include the disputed islands in high school students curriculum?
HUNDT: Well, I suppose the teaching of history is sort of really crucial here. In many ways, we're really talking about two divergent interpretations of what happened during the Second World War. And in many ways this territory, along with. It was interesting to note in some of the reports that the Japanese cabinet secretary has noted that this dispute is being coupled with the northern islands, the Japanese consider the northern islands of Okida that were taken off them at the end of the Second World War by the Soviet Union.
LAM: These are the Kurile Islands?
HUNDT: The Kurile Islands, yeah what Russia refers as the South Kurile Islands. And so in many ways, these are the remnants of the Second World War, those unresolved sort of manifestations if you like at the end of the war, and obviously wars are very divisive by their very nature and I guess the long and the short of it is, of course the Korean side, along with as you know China believes Japan has not been properly repented we might say about the war, and about its the damage or the hurt that it caused to its neighbours at that time. Whereas Japan of course in turn could claim that its done more than enough to compensate its neighbours for any .......
LAM: So are these islands particularly valuable in terms of resources or is it more a question of national pride for South Korea?
HUNDT: I guess the point is that they are quite isolated. They are uninhabitable and yet there are claims that the sea beds in that region are potentially rich in both minerals and natural resources, but also fish stocks and those two countries of the world eat the most marine life I suppose, there is that issue. But I think it's actually much more an issue of pride and as I said that issue of unresolved historical memories and diversion memories.
LAM: So do you think the recalling the South Korean ambassador was an over reaction, given that President Lee Mung-bak had made improving relations with Japan a key plank of its foreign policy?
HUNDT: It's interesting to look at this issue, because as I said it does crop up on quite a regular basis and as I said, there's been calls on both sides not to let it disrupt the overall relationship. But I guess what we can probably interpret that move to recall the ambassador probably the most that South Korea can do. It seemed to be the most public manifestation of the anger, if you like, on the Korean side. And yet, it's again not the first time it's happened. I believe it's only happened four times in South Korea's history that they've recalled an ambassador and three times it's been with Japan. And I'm fairly certain it's always been over this issue.
