CINA

While LeeMB called to "all Koreans" to stay in "strong unity against Japan's illegal claim", almost all Koreans (*), involved in any kind of politics, "civil rights", labour activities etc.. followed the demand of the Dear Leader(^^):

"The Dokdo demonstrations brought together Koreans from all ideological stripes and colours. Progressives, conservatives, young and old came together to protest against Japan's actions." (OhmyNews)

While last Wednesday (7.16) protesters, here KCTU/KTU 'activists' (!!), "only"

hurled eggs and tomatoes (WHY not bloody American BSE beef???)

at the Japanese embassy in Seoul..

..one day later "protesters in Seoul staged a bloody demonstration

outside the Japanese embassy, slaughtering live pheasants – Japan's

national bird (**) – on the street", according to al-Jazeera (7.18)

They cut the heads off live pheasants, Japan’s national bird, and dripped the

blood on Japanese flags and on pictures of Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and

former Japanese leaders. Some battered birds to death with hammers. Others cut

open bellies and ate the livers, shouting: “Dokdo is our territory!”,

The Standard (HK) reported on the same day.

* Of course not ALL Koreans: A minority of voices called for restraint in this debate. An OhmyNews contributor suggested that Dokdo become an "Island of Korean-Japanese Peace" and have the two countries manage the island and its seas together. According to OhmyNews this article - surprise, surprise!(^^) - incited mostly negative comments among the readers.

** An internet reader from Japan later mentioned following:
There is unintended irony here: The Korean nationalists are killing Common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus),and it’s name in Japan is Kourai-kiji (コウライキジ) meaning “Korean Pheasant”.
The natonal bird of Japan is Green Pheasant (Phasianidae versicolor), a subspecies of Common pheasant only seen in Japan. (^^)

About a very queer development Korea Herald reported last week (7.18):

Educators protest Japan Dokdo claim

  
Educators are stepping up their efforts to repudiate Japan's latest claim to the Dokdo islets.
The (conservative) Korea Federation of Teachers' Associations sent out letters to 394 teachers' associations in 171 countries, explaining why Japan's sovereignty claim over Dokdo is historically invalid.

"Dokdo has been recognized as a part of Korea historically and by international law, as well. Dokdo is clearly Korean territory, and its people are currently living there," the letter from the association representing over 190,000 teachers reads.

"Among a number of historical documents which prove that Dokdo is a territory of Korea, 'Samguksagi (the Chronicles of Three Kingdoms)' states that, in 512, Shilla, an ancient kingdom of Korea, was comprised of Usanguk, which was a country based on Usan Island (the name of Dokdo at the time)."

The KFTA letter also discussed other evidence, such as the "The complete map of the Joseon Kingdom," which was drawn by the French geographer Danville in 1737; "The map of three adjoining countries," by a Japanese scholar named Hayashi Shihei in 1785, and "The attached map for elementary school geography textbooks," published by the Japanese Government General of Korea in 1934, which was during the Japanese colonial period.

"Besides, it turned out that the imperial Japanese Council of State (Dajokan) confirmed in 1877 that Uleungdo and Dokdo had no connection with Japanese territory," reads the letter signed by KFTA president Lee Won-hee.

"Above all, the KFTA is deeply worried that the Japanese government has tried to take advantage of the invalid assertion of some Japanese, and has written a book for teachers which promotes a distorted history."

The KFTA said that, "as the issue of Dokdo is related to the education and the views about history which the next generation will develop, rather than disputes between two countries, teachers and the organizations responsible for students' education should take the lead in straightening out the matter."

While seeking support from educators around the world, Korean teachers also pledged to thoroughly educate their students about Dokdo to raise their historical awareness. Japan's right-wing textbook publishers and local administrators have continued to make sovereignty claims over Dokdo, based on its seizure of the islands in 1910 when it invaded Korea. (Korea was under Japanese colonial rule from then until liberation in 1945.)

The ("progressive") Korean Teachers and Education Workers' Union (a part of the KCTU), with nearly 80,000 members, joined forces with the KFTA to hold special classes on Dokdo as soon as school starts next month. Summer vacation starts in most Korean middle and high schools next week.

"Teachers have begun preparing the educational material for the courses on Dokdo," the KFTA said.

Superintendents of 16 provincial or municipal administrations across the country have also agreed to enhance the education regarding Dokdo.

"Japan's irrational behavior - teaching fabricated history to the new generation - is intended to cover up its historical errors such as war, violence, oppression and exploitation," said the group of superintendents.

"This will threaten Korea-Japan relations, the peace of Northeast Asia and the world."

The KFTA sent out newsletters to its 190,000 members in 11,000 schools nationwide, asking them to participate in the educational campaign. The teachers are asked to give students assignments to check out photographs, historical records and media reports about Dokdo over the summer vacation.

The KFTA is considering issuing a joint statement with the North Korean teachers' association to denounce Japan's recent claim...

Related stuff:

☞ Progressives, Conservatives Unite Over Dokdo (Korea Times, 7.16)

☞ Seoul May Take Hardline Steps on East Sea Islets (K. Times, 7.20)