코리아타임즈(2013. 9. 25)에 3학년 6반 조재연 학생 글이 실렸습니다. 축하합니다.

http://koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2013/09/113_143263.html



Lets do more to protect Dokdo


By Cho Jae-youn (3-6)

Nowadays Japan tends to bring up the Dokdo sovereignty issue. Its high-ranking officials have frequently claimed that Dokdo is part of Japan despite the historical fact that the islets have been and are South Korean territory.

However Tokyo has been trying to turn Dokdo into a territorial dispute conducting a publicity campaign across the world to make a sovereignty claim over the islets.

It is apparent that the Japanese officials want to take the Dokdo issue to the International Court of Justice.

There are many Japanese who know the truth about Dokdo and insist that the Japanese government should drop their claim to it.

In this situation we Koreans should endeavor to protect Dokdo from the irrational Japanese claims. A lot of people and organizations have worked to keep Dokdo.

It means that our will to keep this territory is strong.

Unfortunately however we only have warm hearts about Dokdo but not cool heads. That is we have enormous concerns for Dokdo and the passion that we must keep our territory but they aren’t accompanied by concrete action factual studies or historical research about Dokdo to tell the world about the truth of Dokdo.

When I took part in a nongovernmental organization which was founded to keep Dokdo there were many applicants who were high school and university students.

We did a lot of activities concerning Dokdo in detail we held a performance for Dokdo in Gwanghwamun Square and strived to correct maps which describe Dokdo as Takeshima the Japanese name for Dokdo.

I’m confident that we have worked passionately to protect our sovereignty over Dokdo. However we still have a long way to go before completely foiling the Japanese attempt to possess the islets.

After finishing a course sponsored by a Dokdo-related organization I was so proud of myself for giving a hand to Dokdo. But I just cannot be satisfied with it because I was even not sure whether I had concrete knowledge of Dokdo or not.

If we don’t have precise knowledge of Dokdo we can’t inform foreigners who barely know anything about it and the fact that it is strictly a Korean territory.

It means that we may not have the ability to preserve our Dokdo if only a few specialists studying Dokdo have that ability.

How do foreigners think of the islets if all we do is keep saying “Dokdo is Korean territory!” without presenting the reasons to back it? Could it be seen by foreigners as merely nationalism just as we regard Japan’s claims as such?

To announce to everyone that Dokdo is Korean territory and cope with Japan’s provocation effectively not just on a national level we need to equip ourselves with an exact understanding of why Dokdo is part of Korea and why Japan’s claim is wrong.

It is important for us to publicize the correct knowledge and historical facts about Dokdo all around the world. Equally important is that we should not respond to Japan’s provocation with just emotions.

Emotional reactions may lead to escalated diplomatic tensions between the two countries. In a worst-case scenario they could trigger a military clash.

For example a war over the Falkland Islands broke out in 1982 between the U.K. and Argentina. The conflict was apparently the result of the escalation of provocative actions.

Finally as a Korean high school student I recommend that the current curriculum include an in-depth history of Dokdo. If we put objective content about Dokdo in the curriculum then it will not only inspire students through Dokdo but also make them the “guardian” of the islets.

History education should cover historical facts as well as current issues that we should learn to preserve our sovereignty and national integrity.

The writer is a senior attending Hwanil High School in Seoul.