The Japanese government is beefing up PR activities to strengthen its claims to sovereignty over disputed territories with neighboring countries, including Dokdo. (image: Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
SEOUL, Sept. 11 (Korea Bizwire) — The Japanese government is beefing up PR activities, including the allocation of several billion won in funding, to strengthen its claims to sovereignty over disputed territories with neighboring countries, including Dokdo.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Saturday that the Japanese government has allocated a budget of about 300 million yen for information provision activities aimed at promoting its claims to sovereignty over disputed territories with other countries, including Dokdo (known as Takeshima in Japanese), the Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyudao Islands in Chinese), and the Northern Territories, which consist of the four southernmost Kuril Islands.
In December 2022, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida revised a strategic document related to security guarantees and officially asserted Japan’s sovereignty over Dokdo during a meeting of the Cabinet, the highest decision-making body of the Japanese government.
In the updated National Security Strategy, the Japanese government stated its commitment to enhancing efforts to promote understanding of territorial and sovereignty issues. Additionally, it also specified in Japanese elementary, middle, and high school textbooks and on maps that Dokdo is an integral part of Japan’s territory.
According to the Yomiuri Shimbun, the Japanese government’s information dissemination activities aimed at promoting its claims to sovereignty over disputed territories, including Dokdo, are conducted both within Japan and internationally. On the international front, it regularly sends emails containing Japan’s viewpoints to renowned foreign experts, asserting that Dokdo is its own territory.
On the domestic front, the Japanese government hosts seminars for foreigners and plans to renovate the territory and sovereignty exhibition facility in Kasumigaseki, a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo. This exhibition facility is designed to explain Japan’s view on Dokdo, the Senkaku Islands, and the Northern Territories.
In contrast to Japan’s heightened efforts, the South Korean government has significantly reduced its budget for defending Dokdo and responding to Japan’s historical distortions.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
