ID :
14527
Fri, 08/01/2008 - 10:13
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Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/14527
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More Japan-S. Korea exchange events affected by territorial row
SAPPORO, July 31 Kyodo - Some events to promote exchanges between students in Hokkaido and South Korea have been canceled, largely due to the aggravated dispute between Japan and itsneighbor over South Korean-administered islets in the Sea of Japan.
Those involved in the events expressed disappointment over the cancellations, saying it is regrettable that children are being affected by a problem between the two governments while expressing a desire to resume such exchanges.
The ice hockey teams of a high school in Sapporo and a high school in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province have been reciprocating visits for matches annually since about 10 years ago, and about 25 students from the Sapporo school had been scheduled to visit South Korea from Friday.
But the Gyeonggi school notified the Sapporo school by phone last week that it wants to cancel all sports exchanges due to the territorial dispute, officials of the school in Japan's northernmost prefecture said.
In another case, South Korea on July 22 withdrew from an international ice hockey competition scheduled in Sapporo in August for junior high school teams from Japan, South Korea, Canada and Russia, organizers said.
A member of the competition's organizing committee said, ''It is not known whether it is linked to the (territorial) issue, but it is rare to withdraw at such short notice.''In addition, a program for reciprocal visits by high school students in the Hokkaido city of Asahikawa and South Korea's Suwon which had been scheduled between July and September has also been shelved, according to its organizers.
At issue in the territorial dispute are two South Korean-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan claimed by both countries, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.
The South Korean side has apparently taken into account rising anti-Japan sentiment in the country after Japan decided to effectively state Japanese sovereignty over the islets for the first time in a teaching guideline for junior high schools, sparking a backlash in South Korea.
Those involved in the events expressed disappointment over the cancellations, saying it is regrettable that children are being affected by a problem between the two governments while expressing a desire to resume such exchanges.
The ice hockey teams of a high school in Sapporo and a high school in South Korea's Gyeonggi Province have been reciprocating visits for matches annually since about 10 years ago, and about 25 students from the Sapporo school had been scheduled to visit South Korea from Friday.
But the Gyeonggi school notified the Sapporo school by phone last week that it wants to cancel all sports exchanges due to the territorial dispute, officials of the school in Japan's northernmost prefecture said.
In another case, South Korea on July 22 withdrew from an international ice hockey competition scheduled in Sapporo in August for junior high school teams from Japan, South Korea, Canada and Russia, organizers said.
A member of the competition's organizing committee said, ''It is not known whether it is linked to the (territorial) issue, but it is rare to withdraw at such short notice.''In addition, a program for reciprocal visits by high school students in the Hokkaido city of Asahikawa and South Korea's Suwon which had been scheduled between July and September has also been shelved, according to its organizers.
At issue in the territorial dispute are two South Korean-controlled islets in the Sea of Japan claimed by both countries, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.
The South Korean side has apparently taken into account rising anti-Japan sentiment in the country after Japan decided to effectively state Japanese sovereignty over the islets for the first time in a teaching guideline for junior high schools, sparking a backlash in South Korea.
