Monday, July 28, 2008Kyodo News
The recent flareup in the territorial dispute over South Korean-held islets in the Sea of Japan has affected 104 bilateral exchange programs, including the cancellation of 63.
Most of the cancellations, postponements, suspensions and reductions in size of such events, including visits and sports events, were at the request of South Korea.
The government decided earlier this month to effectively state Japan's claim to sovereignty over the islets in a teaching guideline for junior high schools, sparking a backlash in South Korea both in terms of diplomacy and public sentiment.
Aside from the 63 cancellations, 16 events have been postponed and 16 have been suspended or put to further consideration.
The 104 events had been planned to be held in 33 of Japan's 47 prefectures.
In Tottori Prefecture, 12 of 16 planned events were canceled, while Gifu Prefecture had seven events that were suspended.
Students at Fukuoka Girls' High School in the city of Fukuoka planned to visit a high school in Busan last Friday, but the visit was canceled after its South Korean counterpart said it would be difficult to carry out the project until the situation surrounding the two nations improves.
A citizens' group in Nagasaki that planned to accept elementary school students from South Korea for three nights starting July 19 said the event was suspended after the South Korean side told it on July 18 that the children would not be going there because of the anti-Japanese sentiment in their nation.
A youth jazz ballet group in Toyama Prefecture was informed about a week ago that it would not be invited to an international exchange festival slated for August in South Korea.
The islets are called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.
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