NEWS-韩日岛屿之争

South Koreans Protest Over Disputed Islands

with Japan

 

South Korean authorities say they will allow and encourage citizens to visit a set of tiny islands at the heart of a dispute with Japan.

 

The announcement came Wednesday, just hours after a the Shimane Prefecture assembly in Japan passed a resolution designating what it calls "Takeshima Day." Takeshima is the Japanese name for the islands, which lie between Japan and the Korean peninsula. Koreans call the islands "Tokto."

 

The vote has no legal bearing and Japan's national government has distanced itself from the Shimane assembly's action.

 

Yoo Hong-joon is the director of South Korea's Cultural Heritage Administration. Mr. Yoo says previous environmental restrictions¹ will be eased to allow Koreans to visit the islands, which he says are part of their heritage.

 

Japan and South Korea have disagreed about who owns the islands since the end of the Second World War. In recent weeks, however, the dispute has flared² in anticipation³ of the Japanese vote. South Korea's National Security Council is scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss a response to the vote.

 

South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-Moon called the vote "deplorable" and his ministry⁴ said Japan would be responsible for all consequences from the vote.

 

Also Thursday, in a rare show of unanimity⁵, South Korean lawmakers from three major parties have scheduled a trip to the islands.

 

South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyeong wasted no time in reasserting Seoul's claim to the islands on Wednesday. Mr. Lee condemns⁶ the vote, and says it has no legal effect on South Korea's sovereignty over the islands.

 

South Korea maintains a small Coast Guard presence on the islands, which are too small and rocky to support many inhabitants. It is the islands' symbolism that stirs deep feelings among Koreans.

 

Angry South Koreans have protested every day this week in front of the Japanese embassy here in Seoul. Earlier in the week, two South Koreans cut off a finger each to display their feelings over the issue.

 

Japan ruled the Korean Peninsula as a colony from 1910 to 1945 and harshly suppressed Korean cultural identity. For decades, South Korean authorities have accused Japan of whitewashing⁷ its colonial past and failing to compensate⁸ Koreans for abuses during the colonial period.

 

Kurt Achin, VOA news, Seoul.

1 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

2 Flared   

adj. 端部张开的, 爆发的, 加宽的, 漏斗式的 动词flare的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The match flared and went out. 火柴闪亮了一下就熄了。
• The fire flared up when we thought it was out. 我们以为火已经熄灭，但它突然又燃烧起来。

3 anticipation   

n.预期，预料，期望

参考例句：

• We waited at the station in anticipation of her arrival.我们在车站等着，期待她的到来。
• The animals grew restless as if in anticipation of an earthquake.各种动物都变得焦躁不安，像是感到了地震即将发生。

4 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

5 unanimity   

n.全体一致，一致同意

参考例句：

• These discussions have led to a remarkable unanimity.这些讨论导致引人注目的一致意见。
• There is no unanimity of opinion as to the best one.没有一个公认的最好意见。

6 condemns   

v.（通常因道义上的原因而）谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 )；宣判；宣布…不能使用；迫使…陷于不幸的境地

参考例句：

• Her widowhood condemns her to a lonely old age. 守寡使她不得不过着孤独的晚年生活。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The public opinion condemns prostitution. 公众舆论遣责卖淫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 whitewashing   

粉饰，美化，掩饰( whitewash的现在分词 )； 喷浆

参考例句：

• Tom went on whitewashing the fence, paying no attention to Ben. 汤姆没有理睬本，继续在粉刷着篱笆。
• When whitewashing the wall, he painted with a roller in his hand. 刷墙的时候，他手里拿个辊子，挥舞着胳膊。

8 compensate   

vt.补偿，赔偿；酬报 vi.弥补；补偿；抵消

参考例句：

• She used her good looks to compensate her lack of intelligence. 她利用她漂亮的外表来弥补智力的不足。
• Nothing can compensate for the loss of one's health. 一个人失去了键康是不可弥补的。