It has emerged that South Korea is planning a marine survey using unmanned observation devices in Japan’s territorial waters around Takeshima, which it continues to occupy illegally.
This is not merely a diplomatic issue but a grave matter directly tied to Japan’s maritime interests and national security.
Japan has reached the point where it must conduct its own surveys and take sanctions and countermeasures against South Korea.

2019-03-29
Is South Korea’s “survey” around Takeshima something that can be settled merely with protest.
The time has come for Japan to carry out its own marine survey and take sanctions and countermeasures against South Korea.

Yesterday’s Sankei Shimbun was filled with articles proving that Sankei is now the newspaper that represents Japan.
The world should know that a newspaper which continues to demean its own country and side with the Korean Peninsula, where anti-Japan education is conducted against Japan, and with China, a one-party communist dictatorship hostile to Japan, can never represent that country.
In particular, newspapers in Italy, France, Germany, and elsewhere, which have stationed correspondents in Japan who are afflicted with left-wing infantilism and have repeatedly joined the Asahi Shimbun in degrading Japan, and newspapers such as The New York Times, which have likewise continued to have anti-Japan articles written by Japanese-descended people who are comparable to traitors and are also afflicted with left-wing infantilism, must engage in serious self-reflection.

The following is from an editorial published under the title, “Is South Korea’s ‘survey’ around Takeshima something that can be settled merely with protest.”

It has become clear that South Korea is planning a marine survey using unmanned observation devices called sea drones in Japan’s territorial waters around Takeshima, which it continues to occupy illegally.
It is said that South Korea’s National Oceanographic Research Institute plans to collect data on the seabed topography, ocean currents, and changes in seawater temperature around Takeshima.
This is a survey that infringes upon Japan’s maritime rights and interests.
Takeshima is inherent Japanese territory.
Its surrounding waters are Japan’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone.
South Korea cannot be permitted to conduct a marine survey there without Japan’s consent.

This is also a matter directly connected to national security.
These data are, in themselves, military information useful for submarine navigation and the like.
They can hardly be unrelated to the recent strengthening of the South Korean navy.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga stated at a press conference that, “In light of our country’s position regarding sovereignty over Takeshima, this is absolutely unacceptable,” and revealed that Japan had strongly protested through diplomatic channels and demanded that the plan be halted.
In response, a spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry brushed aside Japan’s protest.
The spokesperson said, “We will respond firmly.”
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry also summoned Japan’s Ambassador to South Korea, Yasumasa Nagamine, to protest the fact that Japanese elementary school textbooks describe Takeshima as “inherent territory.”

South Korea’s outrageous behavior over Takeshima is beyond excessive.
In February of this year, a South Korean survey vessel entered Japan’s territorial waters around Takeshima.
Last year as well, South Korea sent survey vessels into the area, and the South Korean military and police conducted exercises on Takeshima and in the surrounding waters.
For a long time, South Korea has also kept armed guards stationed there on a permanent basis.

South Korea has no right to conduct marine surveys or exercises there.
It should immediately end its illegal occupation of Takeshima and withdraw.

The response of the Japanese government is nothing but frustrating.
No matter how many times Japan protests, South Korea not only remains utterly unmoved, but continues to take illegal and unjust actions.

Regarding the Northern Territories, the Abe administration stopped saying “the return of all four islands.”
Is it not possible that South Korea despises Japan because it sees Japan taking an ambiguous stance on territorial sovereignty.

Japan once proposed taking the matter to the International Court of Justice, but South Korea did not agree.
The time has come for Japan to conduct its own marine survey and take sanctions and countermeasures against South Korea.