DPRK media accuse Japan of claiming Tok Islets*
2011-08-05
PYONGYANG, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea's (DPRK) official news agency, KCNA, has accused Japan of describing the Tok Islets as Japanese territory.
The KCNA said the description in a white paper released by the Japanese Defense Ministry was "a wanton violation of the dignity and sovereignty of the Korean nation". The islets were part of the inviolable territory of Korea, the article said.
Persistent claims to the islands by the Japanese authorities clearly proved their aim was to realize their ambition for territorial expansion, it said.
KCNA said Japan aimed to convince its people the islets were part of its territory and prepare them to be ready for war with Korea for territorial expansion.
"It is nothing but a crafty artifice to float a story about Japan's dominion over the islets in the international community and legalize and justify its moves for grabbing the islets," the article said.
The army and people of the DPRK would never tolerate any moves of Japan to grab the islets, it said.
The white paper in which the Tok Islets are reportedly described as part of Japan's territory was presented to a Cabinet meeting on Aug. 2. According to the KCNA, Japan also openly described the islets as its territory in history textbooks, maps and other books for the education of young Japanese. It let dozens of Japanese shift their domicile of origin to the islets this year as well.
The Tok Islets, with an area of 0.18 square kilometers, are located in the waters to the east of the Korean Peninsula. DPRK, South Korea and Japan all claim sovereignty but the islets are currently under the control of South Korea. Japan calls the islets "Takeshima".
