Popular Korean singer Kim Jang-hoon financed a full-page advertisement in the New York Times on Korea's easternmost islands of Dokdo in the East Sea to argue for Korea's sovereignty over the islands.

The advertisement, published on July 9, was masterminded by freelance Korean public relations expert Seo Kyoung-duk and fully-financed by the 41-year-old singer, who called the act a form of civilian diplomacy to globally inform people that Dokdo belongs to Korea.

The ad was titled “Do You Know?” with a map of the disputed region. The accompanying text states, in part, “For the last 2,000 years, the body of water between Korean and Japan has been called the ‘East Sea.' Dokdo (two islands) located in the East Sea is a part of Korean territory. The Japanese government must acknowledge this fact.”

The ad also asked for cooperation between the two governments to pass down accurate facts of history to the next generation and realize peace and prosperity in Northeast Asia.

Readers are directed to a website run by Seo Kyoung-duk (www.ForTheNextGeneration.com) that deals with other Korean history issues such as Goguryeo, Balhae and comfort women in English.

The two nations have each claimed sovereignty over the two rocky islands -- referred to as Takeshima in Japanese -- in the East Sea.

The ad came amid escalating tensions between the two countries fueled by the Japanese government's recent attempt to add Dokdo to Japanese territory in a new reference book for middle school students.

Kim with Seo's support, plans are afoot to publish similar ads in other influential newspapers in the future, starting with one surrounding the Chinese historic claim to the Goguryeo and Balhae kingdoms this fall.

They also plan to run similar ads next year to commemorate Korean Independence Day, which falls on Aug. 15.

Seo himself has already published several messages on Dokdo, the East Sea and comfort women, in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the Washington Post respectively.

By Han Aran
Korea.net Staff Writer