Seoul dismisses Tokyo's protests over Cho Kuk's Dokdo visit

Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk's recent visit to the Dokdo islets has sparked controversy as Japan lodged a formal protest expressing "regrets" about the trip.

Cho Kuk, the leader of the liberal Rebuilding Korea Party, holds the Korean national flag as he visits the Dokdo islets on Monday. [REBUILDING KOREA PARTY]

Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk's recent visit to the Dokdo islets has sparked controversy as Japan lodged a formal protest expressing "regrets" about the trip.

Korea’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday that it has dismissed Japan’s complaint over the visit, stressing that Dokdo is "undeniably Korea’s territory historically, geographically and under international law."

"Japan has protested through diplomatic channels, but we have dismissed it," said Lee Joo-il, deputy spokesperson at the Foreign Ministry, in a press briefing. "The government will sternly respond to Japan’s unjust claims about Dokdo."

Cho Kuk visited the islets of Dokdo on Monday, where he announced a statement denouncing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s diplomacy with Japan as "submissive."

Following Cho's visit to Dokdo, the Japanese government expressed regret, stressing that the trip was made despite having expressed its objections beforehand.

Dokdo has long been a point of contention in relations between Korea and Japan, with Tokyo renewing its assertion over ownership of the islets in policy documents, public statements and school textbooks. The Korean government maintains that no disputes exist over the Dokdo islets, which it says are historically, geographically and under international law an integral part of Korean territory.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi, the Japanese government’s top spokesperson, said that it is "absolutely unacceptable and extremely regrettable" that the leader of Korea's third-largest party paid a visit to the islets, reiterating that "Takeshima is an inherent part of Japan’s territory." Takeshima is the Japanese name for the Dokdo islets.

Hiroyuki Namazu, the director-general of the Asian and Oceania Affairs Bureau of Japan’s foreign ministry, reportedly contacted senior diplomat Kim Jang-hyun at the Korean Embassy in Japan, fiercely protesting the trip and seeking assurance that no such visit would happen again.

The Rebuilding Korea Party criticized Japan's response and requested an apology.

"The visit to the Dokdo islets by Cho and major members of the party is a very natural matter, just like Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi visiting Tsushima Island," said Kim Bo-hyup, the party’s spokesperson, in a commentary released Tuesday.

He also questioned whether the Korean government had expressed regrets over Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida visiting any parts of Japan. The spokesperson also urged the Korean Foreign Ministry to strongly protest against Japan's claim that Dokdo is its territory and demand an apology.

President Yoon Suk Yeol, second from right, greets Rebuilding Korea Party leader Cho Kuk at an event held to celebrate Buddha's birthday at Jogye Order in central Seoul on Wednesday. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

Meanwhile, Cho on Wednesday made his first public encounter with President Yoon Suk Yeol in about five years. The two reportedly shook hands, with Yoon briefly greeting Cho, at an event held at Jogye Order in central Seoul to celebrate Buddha’s birthday.

The last time the two met in a public appearance was in July 2019 when Yoon was appointed as prosecutor general, while Cho served as the presidential secretary for civil affairs under the former Moon Jae-in government.

The brief meeting between the two caught public attention as they had been in a somewhat uncomfortable relationship since mid-October of 2019 when Cho stepped down just over a month after he was appointed to be justice minister following the state prosecution service's investigation into Cho's family affairs. The investigation was led by Yoon during his tenure as prosecutor general.

Cho's wife was later convicted and served a prison term.

Cho, who was also handed a two-year prison term and is expecting his final trial at the Supreme Court, launched his party just before the latest general election. His election campaign mostly centered on passing judgment against the Yoon government. He has also been pushing for special counsel investigations into first lady Kim Keon Hee’s handbag controversy and the senior officials who allegedly intervened during the investigation into the death of a young Marine last year.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]