Japan parliament vice minister to attend Takeshima ceremony

February 15, 2019

Tokyo--The Japanese government will dispatch a parliamentary vice minister to a ceremony seeking the establishment of Japan's sovereignty over the Sea of Japan islands of Takeshima, Mitsuhiro Miyakoshi, minister for territorial issues, said Friday.

Hiroshi Ando, parliamentary vice minister at the Cabinet Office, will attend the annual Takeshima Day ceremony to be held by the Shimane prefectural government in the western prefecture's capital of Matsue on Feb. 22 as the representative of the central government, according to Miyakoshi.

At a news conference, Miyakoshi stressed that the group of the islands, effectively controlled by South Korea, "is clearly our country's inherent territory historically and under international law."

It is certain that South Korea will strongly protest the attendance of a parliamentary vice minister at the event for the seventh straight year, pundits say.

National lawmakers and prefectural assembly members are also expected to participate in the ceremony. Jiji Press