Interview with Gerry On Sanin Ctyuou shinpou

HT to a reader.

The excessive anti-Japan movement that took place on March 2005 in Korea has died down now. Shimane prefecture established "the day of Takeshima that year.
Mr. Gerry Beaver, a teacher of English at the University near Seoul, who studies the history of Takeshima analyzes the change as follows.

" I think part of the reason for that is that many Koreans have turned their
attention toward China and the historical disagreements that exist between
China and Korea, but I also think that the Korean government has realized
that talking about the history of Takeshima (Dokdo) has done more harm than
good since the history supports Japan's claims on Takeshima."

He posted articles on the Internet about the Korean old documents and maps that were not in favor of Korean claim, which led him to get fired from the university last year.

" I now have a teaching job at another Korean university that I am very
satisfied with. I enjoy living in Korea because Koreans are very friendly
people, but the problem is that Koreans seem to think that anyone who
disagrees with them on Dokdo (Takeshima) are anti-Korean. That is simply not
true."


Lee Myung-bak will take office as new President on 25th of the next February. He
will place more importance upon the relation with Japan.

" I think Lee Myung-bak is a pragmatic politician that wants to improve
relations with Japan, and will, therefore, try to avoid making Takeshima
(Dokdo) an issue by continuing to pretend that there is no dispute with
Japan over the islets. However, there are still anti-Japanese groups in
Korea that he may sometimes have to appease in someway, so the issue may
still come up."

While anti-Japan movement has died down, Korea still seems to assert her claims on
Takeshima by doing such things as sitting up polling booths,
. On the other hand, Japanese government hasn't done anything to speak of.

"There are hardcore anti-Japan advocates in Korea.

Old documents and maps clearly support Japan’s historical claims on
Takeshima, so the Japanese government needs to stop being so passive about
this issue and start translating and writing the books and brochures that
will prove their claims to the world because I am almost positive that
Korean historians will continue to distort the facts to support their false
claims. However, telling the truth about the history and settling the
dispute are two different things."

Gerry has studied the history of takehsima for 3 years since he felt something wrong with anti-Japan sentiments in Korea.
He is confident that there is no evidence that Takeshima belongs Korean territory.

" I have pretty much answered all the questions I had about the
Takeshima-Dokdo issue, so I am not really doing any new research right now.
What I want to do now is to review and organize the information I do have
because I am thinking about writing a book. I think I have learned the truth
about Takeshima, and I want others to know it, too. "