Disputed Isles: South Korea recalls envoy to Japan

With the polar ice caps melting, new Arctic trade routes opening up, and sea levels expected to rise, it's hard to imagine two nations spending so much time and energy arguing over a group of tiny, rocky islets. Yet South Korea and Japan are at it again.

Known in Korea as Dokdo and Japan as Takeshima, this unremarkable group of islands lies almost directly between Japan and Korea in the Japan Sea. Ownership has long been disputed, but now Japanese teaching guides will refer to the islands as Japanese. This has riled the Koreans, who see the otherwise useless rocks as theirs.

Aparently it's all about the rich fishing grounds surrounding the island, and possibly some gas reserves in the seabed. Except that it's not: it's an issue of national pride for the rightists in both countries.

It would be simple to resolve the issue using playground logic: share. Or, failing that, apply for a United Nations resolution. But, after so many years of back and forth bickering, it's obvious politicians in both countries enjoy the dispute for what it provides: a reliable tool with which to distract the populace.

Read the article: South Korea recalls envoy to Japan

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