Japanese Activist Indicted for Vandalism in Korea

A member of a rightwing Japanese party has been indicted for vandalizing two monuments in Seoul.

Nobuyuki Suzuki was indicted on two counts of defamation for planting a stake saying "Takeshima" (the Japanese name for Korea's Dokdo islets) "is Japanese territory" next to a statue in honor of Korean women pressed into sexual slavery for Japanese troops in World War II.

He planted a similar stake at a monument for Korean freedom fighter Yun Bong-gil. According to an association dedicated to Yun's memory, Suzuki posted photos of a stake deriding the independence fighter and labeling him a terrorist.

Suzuki has left Korea, but prosecutors say they can try him in absentia if he refuses to return. If he is sentenced to prison, Seoul can request his extradition under a treaty with Japan.