「竹島」提訴へ 日本領有の正当性を発信せよ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Aug. 19, 2012)
Use ICJ suit to emphasize Japan's Takeshima sovereignty
「竹島」提訴へ　日本領有の正当性を発信せよ（8月18日付・読売社説）

It is highly significant that our country is making a wide appeal to the international community to recognize the legitimacy of Japan's sovereignty over the Takeshima islands.
　竹島に関する日本の領有権の正当性を広く国際社会に訴え、認知させる意義は大きい。

The government has announced plans to take the sovereignty row involving the islets in the Sea of Japan to the International Court of Justice.
　政府が、竹島問題を国際司法裁判所に提訴する方針を発表した。

Japan will shortly propose that the two countries work together to bring the Takeshima issue before the U.N. tribunal in The Hague. If South Korea refuses the overture, Japan will file a suit on its own with the ICJ.
　近日中に日韓両国による共同付託を韓国に提案し、韓国が応じない場合は、日本単独で提訴する方向だ。

Chief Cabinet Secretary Osamu Fujimura stressed in a news conference Friday that Japan wants to "resolve the issue calmly, fairly and peacefully based on international law."
　藤村官房長官は「国際法に基づき、冷静公平かつ平和的な紛争解決を目指す。

He went on to say, "If South Korea believes its claim to the ownership of Takeshima is justifiable, it should accept our government's proposal."
韓国が自国の領有権主張が正当と考えるなら、提案に応じるべきだ」と強調した。

South Korea has rejected going to the ICJ for a ruling on the disputed islets two times so far, and it plans to dismiss the Japanese move this time, too.

　韓国は従来、付託を拒否しており、今回も応じない方針だ。

Given the ICJ is unable to begin proceedings over an international dispute without the consent of all parties concerned, there are no prospects for the main judicial body of the United Nations to start hearings over the Tokyo-Seoul territorial row.
国際司法裁の紛争解決は当事国双方の同意が前提のため、裁判が開廷する見通しは立っていない。

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Syngman Rhee Line outrageous

Through Japan's planned lodging of a suit, however, South Korea's illegal occupation of the islets and the unconscionability of its claim to Takeshima will become widely known to the international community. It is very important for Japan to calmly proceed with the court proceedings.
　だが、提訴を通じて、竹島が韓国に不法占拠されている現状や、韓国の主張の不当性が国際社会に認識されよう。日本は粛々と手続きを進めることが大切だ。

A look at Takeshima's history makes it indisputably clear that Japan established its sovereignty over the islets in the middle of the 17th century. A Cabinet decision was made in 1905 to incorporate the islets under the jurisdiction of Shimane Prefecture.
　竹島をめぐる過去の経緯を振り返れば、日本は、１７世紀半ばに領有権を確立し、１９０５年には島根県への編入を閣議決定した。

In the San Francisco Peace Treaty signed after World War II, Takeshima was excluded from the list of areas for which Japan was obliged to renounce its territorial claims.
　大戦後のサンフランシスコ講和条約でも、日本が放棄すべき地域から竹島は除外されていた。

In 1952, just before the treaty went into effect, however, then South Korean President Syngman Rhee unilaterally took control of the Takeshima islets by creating the so-called Syngman Rhee Line--in violation of international law--and South Korea has been illegally occupying Takeshima since then.
　ところが、韓国は条約発効直前の５２年、当時の李承晩大統領が公海に国際法違反の「李承晩ライン」を設定して竹島を取り込み、それ以降、不法占拠を続けている。

The Japanese government, for its part, must assert from time to time that Takeshima is clearly Japanese territory both historically and under international law.
　竹島は歴史的にも国際法上も日本の領土であると、政府は折に触れて主張していく必要がある。

The responsibility for causing the turmoil this time lies entirely with South Korean President Lee Myung Bak, who brashly visited Takeshima on Aug. 10.
　現在の混乱を招いた責任は、ひとえに、竹島訪問を一方的に強行した李明博韓国大統領にある。

It has been the practice of successive administrations of South Korean political leaders, when beleaguered by domestic politics, to wheel out historical and territorial problems vis-a-vis Japan in the form of political claptrap to exploit nationalistic sentiments of the South Korean people.
　内政面で苦境にある首脳が、日本との歴史認識や領土の問題を持ち出し、国内のナショナリズムに訴えて人気取りを図るのは、韓国歴代政権の常套(じょうとう)手段だった。

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Avoid irreparable animosity

President Lee's deeds this time, combined with his subsequent demand for an "apology from the Emperor" for the wartime past, is particularly unforgivable. South Korea should be cognizant of this.
　だが、今回の李大統領の行動は、その後の「天皇謝罪」要求発言と合わせて、格段に罪深い。韓国側はそれを自覚すべきだ。

The Japanese side, in a bid to work out further countermeasures against Lee's words and deeds, is considering such steps as postponing a Japan-South Korea summit meeting and intergovernmental consultations scheduled for the near future.
　日本側は、さらなる対抗措置として、日韓の首脳会談や政府間協議の延期を検討している。

Finance Minister Jun Azumi, for that matter, does not rule out the possibility of scaling down a credit line Japan was prepared to set for a bilateral currency swap deal designed for the transfer of foreign currencies to one of the two countries in time of a monetary crisis.
安住財務相は、金融危機時に外貨を融通し合うための日韓通貨交換（スワップ）協定の融資枠を縮小する可能性を否定していない。

Indications are that Japan-South Korea ties will remain stalemated at least for the time being.
　当面、日韓関係の停滞が続くのは避けられまい。

The price for the worsening of bilateral relations will eventually have to be paid by both Japan and South Korea.
　関係悪化のツケは結局、日韓両国に回ってくる。

A prolonged feud between the countries is bound to benefit only North Korea in connection with security affairs in the northeastern Asian region.
北東アジアの安全保障問題でも、日韓の足並みの乱れは北朝鮮を利するだけだ。

Both Japan and South Korea must act with cool heads and keep talking to prevent bilateral relations from irreparably plunging into animosity.
　日韓関係が決定的に悪化しないように、政府間で冷静に対話を重ねることも重要である。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Aug. 18, 2012)
（2012年8月18日01時38分 読売新聞）