Dokdo

(a little reminder I recorded whilst walking a dog)
Nothing gets Koreans riled like the "Dokdo" issue. Dokdo, otherwise known as the Liancourt Rocks, are two TINY islands smack dab in between Korea and Japan. These two nations have a past rich with disdain and resentment, and it seems as if the Dokdo discussion is simply an extension of that ill will.

The trouble lies in the fact that both nations have fairly legitimate claim to the islands. Dokdo's sovereignty has been in the hands of both nations countless times over the past century. Regardless, the islands have been safely Korean since WWII. The war found Japan destroyed and without any of its previous diplomatic sway necessary to lay claim. Then, even in the upheaval of the Korean war, Japan could never find the right support in the international community to warrant any physical plays towards Dokdo.

Today only a Korean octopus fisherman and his wife live there. But the battle still rages. In summer '08, Japan made some remark in its public middle school curriculum about their rightful ownership over Dokdo. Needless to say the Koreans went apeshit. Korea recalled its ambassador to Japan, strengthened naval support in the East sea, and reinvested in a propaganda campaign the likes of which I've not seen since fall 2001 in the states. The Koreans have a Dokdo song. There are stickers everywhere, including most city buses in Ulsan. I've met Koreans young and old (some of my 5th graders made comments today about the islands) who spoke passionately on the issue.

It's absolutely wild to be a part of a veritable war that only lives in people's hearts and minds. I can't wait to ask some Japanese how the feel about it.