Japanese Foreign Minister Kenba let loose a spate of sophism recently that "Tok Islets are part of the territory of Japan in the light of history and international law." They are kicking up a row about bringing the issue of the islets to the International Court of Justice.

Even the Japanese prime minister cried out for "unshakable will" to "defend the state sovereignty," asserting "there is no doubt about it." What the foreign minister and the prime minister of Japan uttered goes far beyond their outbursts let loose at the outset of the year that "they would state what they should say about the issue of Tok Islets" and " I have no intention to retract the remarks made by the foreign minister as regards the islets". These outpourings are nothing but hysterical behaviors intended to grab other's territory.

This is a blatant encroachment upon the sovereignty of the Korean nation and a politically-motivated aggression against its territory.

Tok Islets are part of the inviolable territory of Korea from the historic, geographical and legal points of views. Therefore, there can be no territorial dispute surrounding the islets. The only dispute is that the owner of the islets is keen to defend its territory and outside forces try to grab it.

That is why even a slight negative approach of Japan towards Tok Islets in the past sparked off sensitive reaction on the part of the Korean people and faced a strong protest of all Koreans.

The Japanese prime minister, again raising the issue of Tok Islets on August 24, grumbled "they illegally occupied the islets by force" and "it is not an issue to be discussed in the context of understanding of history."

This makes it easy to guess what phase Japan's territorial ambition has reached.

It was none other than Japan that invaded Korea and other Asian countries and imposed unbearable misfortune and sufferings on their people by running the whole gamut of illegal repressive means in the past century.

Japan not only grabbed the territory, culture and natural resources of the Korean nation but deprived Koreans of even their names. These atrocities were recorded as the most barbarous and disgraceful aggression in human history.

The peoples of Korea and other Asian countries and the world community are so strongly demanding Japan make honest repentance, apology and reparation of the past crimes because they want to make sure that such acts are not repeated on this earth.

The Japanese authorities' reckless remarks about Tok Islets which remind one of a thief crying "Stop the thief!" were not prompted by their ignorance of history or wrong judgment of laws.

They were totally attributable to the militarist idea of the Japanese right-wing reactionaries dreaming of realizing the "Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere".

The Japanese reactionaries, seized with the ambition for overseas aggression, are seeking to completely grab Tok Islets by taking advantage of an opportunity, by convincing the international community that the issue of the islets is one of the unsettled "disputes."

Japan's attempt to grab Tok Islets, oblivious of the lesson taught by history, will only precipitate its total ruin.