This Friday is Independence Movement Day, when the nation commemorates its independence from Japan's 35 years of colonial rule. Businesses here have said they will begin a nationwide protest on Friday against Japan's intensifying propaganda campaign over Korea's Dokdo Islets.

The Save Local Stores Alliance, a civic group consisting of around 6 million independent businesses, announced Monday that it will not buy or sell Japanese goods beginning on March 1. On the list are products from eight companies, including a Japanese brand of cigarettes and a Japanese beer that are both highly popular among Korean consumers.

"Civic groups have boycotted Japanese products in the past, but this boycott is the largest ever," a spokesman for the organization said. "Businesses that are taking part in the campaign handle about 80 percent of Japanese imports."

The organization says they will campaign against the consumption of Japanese products until the Japanese government apologizes for its dubious colonial claim to the islets.