Parliament considers putting right-wing Japanese on entry ban watchlist

SEOUL, Aug. 3 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean parliamentary committee plans to urge the Seoul government to make a list of extreme right-wing Japanese politicians and civic groups subject to entry bans, ruling and opposition lawmakers said Wednesday, in light of recent diplomatic tensions over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo.
The move is the latest in a series of strong responses to Tokyo's ongoing territorial claims over the East Sea islets, following conservative Japanese lawmakers' failed attempts to visit Ulleung, an island 90 kilometers from Dokdo, and Tokyo's approval of its 2011 defense white paper that again refers to Dokdo as its territory.



In a parliamentary meeting slated for next Friday, the Dokdo committee members will call on the Seoul government to compile a watchlist of right-wing politicians and civic activists who have openly claimed Japan's ownership of Dokdo, Rep. Lee Chul-woo of the Grand National Party said. The watchlist would prevent such individuals from visiting South Korea for political purposes.
The parliamentary meeting, which will be first in Korean history to be held on the rocky croppings, will also discuss Tokyo's temporary boycott on Korean Air over the airline's test flights over Dokdo and this year's defense white paper. At the end of the meeting, the committee will adopt a resolution condemning Tokyo's repeated claims to the Korean territory, they added.
"We have to bar activities that deny South Korea's Constitution and violate the local law with a strong will," committee chairman Kang Chang-il of the Democratic Party said. "We need to respond in a constant and systematic way as this is not a one-time incident."
The committee is also considering calling on neighboring countries engaged in territorial disputes with Japan, such as China and Russia, for their cooperation if needed in the future, Kang noted.