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A leading expert on the territorial niceties surrounding the Dokdo islets has suggested the Japanese government is trying to exploit a widening rift in the Korea-U.S. alliance to wrest control of the rocks from Korea. Shin Yong-ha, an honorary professor at Seoul National University, on Thursday told a seminar, ¡°The Junichiro Koizumi administration in Japan is trying to dispossess South Korea of Dokdo when the right time comes, thinking it has the steadfast support of the U.S.¡± Shin added the U.S. inclined to support Japan more than Korea in the controversy. The seminar was organized by the Peace Forum for North East Asia in the 21 century.
Shin said the CIA ¡°World Factbook¡± compiled by the U.S. intelligence agency increasingly reflects Japan¡¯s position on the Korean islets. In 2002, the ¡°Factbook¡± said the Dokdo dispute was sparked by Japan¡¯s claim to the islets. This year, it says, ¡°Japan and South Korea claim the Liancourt Rocks¡± which have been ¡°occupied¡± by Korea ¡°since 1954.¡±
"The CIA seems to support Japan in this matter,¡± Shin said. "All U.S. policies related to military strategy support Japan.¡± The professor charged Japan can do as it pleases because the U.S. is only interested in a hegemonic ¡°pax Americana¡± under the leadership of the U.S. He said Korea ¡°has trusted the U.S. too much,¡± and stressed the need to make Washington change its Northeast Asia policy.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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