▲ Japan’s 2021 Defense White Paper Dokdo marked as Takeshima on a map showing the status of surveillance in the sea and air areas around Japan


Japan's Defense White Paper, published annually by the Ministry of Defense, has repeatedly claimed sovereignty over Dokdo this year.



The content of this year's defense white paper regarding sovereignty over Dokdo, which was decided by the Japanese Cabinet (State Council) just before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics, could affect President Moon Jae-in's visit to Japan, where the possibility of attending the Olympic opening ceremony on the 23rd is being discussed. It's possible.



Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi reported the 2021 edition of the Defense White Paper (Japan's Defense) to the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on the 13th local time.



The Ministry of Defense also stated in this white paper, which focused on Japan's security environment from April last year to May of this year, "Northern Territory (Japanese expression of the four Kuril Islands) and Takeshima (Dokdo claimed by Japan), which are indigenous territories of Korea (Japan). The territorial issue of the name) still exists unresolved."




It is the 17th year since 2005, during the administration of Junichiro Koizumi, that Japan has claimed sovereignty over Dokdo through a defense white paper that has been published since 1970 and has been published annually since 1976.



The Japanese government is repeating the 'Dokdo Provocation' led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense as an annual event, claiming that "Korea's illegal occupation of Takeshima" continues even using this year's diplomatic blue paper published by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in April prior to the Defense White Paper. .



Apart from the technology for claiming sovereignty over Dokdo, the Japanese Ministry of Defense removed Dokdo and marked Takeshima from each map showing ▲ the location of major units of the Self-Defense Forces ▲ the trend of Russian military activity ▲ monitoring of the sea and air area around Japan ▲ the air defense identification rights of neighboring countries, as in last year.




Regarding the recent Dokdo issue, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Organizing Committee marked Dokdo as Japanese territory on a map depicting the torch relay and did not withdraw it, raising public opinion in Korea that the Tokyo Olympics should be boycotted. A great controversy arose.



In this situation, the Japanese government has even released a new defense white paper containing its claim to Dokdo, and it is expected that voices in South Korea against President Moon's visit to Japan in line with the Tokyo Olympics will grow.



Regarding the relationship with South Korea, this year's defense white paper maintains the technical content of last year that "the tasks between the defense authorities of the two countries are affecting defense cooperation and exchanges" and argues that "the negative response by the South Korean defense authorities is continuing." Added .



(Photo = Yonhap News)