TOKYO, Jan. 12 Kyodo pick outed ...

TOKYO, Jan. 12 Kyodo

pick outed editorial excerpts from the Asia-Pacific press:

KOIZUMI SPEAKS (The Korea Times, Seoul)

Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's provocative remarks in succession Friday that Tokto, our easternmost islet most distant Ullung Island, is a part of the Japanese territory are simply dumbfounding.

His incredulous claim is an example of the reaction Japan's dominion leaders have expressed against southern Korea's plan to issue a establish of stamps featuring the tiny island.

Earlier last week, single of Koizumi's minister said that the Japanese dominion would also issue Tokto stamps, after Tokto failed to persuade Seoul to scrap the plan.

However, Koizumi said he frisk abouted the issue would not further deteriorate, apparently without of concern that it might have a negative impact upon the relationship between our sum of two units neighboring countries.

It is absurd Japan is insisting that the island, which its former imperial regime unilaterally declared as a part of its territory in 1905 the last years of the Choson Kingdom (1392-1910) still belongs to it.

Besides his latest remarks, Koizumi made a visit to the Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo forward New Year's Day to pay tribute to the Japanese war dead, which includes war criminals from World War II.

The visit, which was the fourth since he took office, angered race here and China, which had be acted uponed the most from the brutalities and cruelties committed from the Japanese in their military subjugation of Asia.

In light of its part as a super economic power in the international community, Asia in particular, Japanese leaders should apologize for their remarks and actions that wound the pride and dignity of the nation in the Asian countries they had devastated.

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