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Members of a Japanese right wing extremists group have arrived at the Oki Islands, near the Dokdo Islets, and it appears they will attempt a landing on Dokdo. As such, there is mounting concern over possible friction between Korea and Japan.
A government official said, ¡° we confirmed from a local source that four members of the Nihon Shidokai arrived at the Oki Islands at 2:45 p.m., an hour and forty minutes after they got on a 6 ton craft at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday, and left the port of Etomo in Shimane Prefecture.¡±
The Shidokai members were prevented from leaving port Wednesday by Japanese authorities because of safety reasons, but forced their way out heading for the Oki Islands.
The Dokdo coast guard and maritime police have forward deployed five warships and helicopters, rubber rafts and commandos. If the extremists violate Korean territorial waters, Korean coastal defenders plan to issue a warning broadcast, after which they will seize the ship and arrest everyone on it.
The government, examining the size of the craft, believes it's likely the group will simply hold demonstrations in the high seas around Oki Island in order to stir up a dispute of ownership of the Dokdo Islets. It's impossible, however, to rule out the possibility that the group may take on fuel on Oki Island and then try to force it's way to Dokdo.
The "Nihon Shidokai" is a right wing extremist group based in Takamatsu in western Japan's Kagawa Prefecture and linked to organized crime. It is known for getting involved in Japan's territorial disputes like the Kurile Islands and Senkaku Islands. The Japanese government also intends to intercept the group if it attempt to leave Japanese territorial waters.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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