South Korea filed an official protest Wednesday over a Japanese prefecture's legislation aimed at boosting its claim to a group of disputed islets located in the East Sea (Sea of Japan). (Photo: Xinhua)

At an urgent press conference, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyung said South Korea would "take every necessary measure" to have the Japanese legislation scrapped, warning that "Japan is to blame for all consequences." (Photo: Xinhua)

    TOKYO, March 16 (Xinhuanet) -- A bill passed Wednesday by a Japanese local parliament about the sovereignty of a group of disputed islands rubbed salt on the currently troubled relations with South Korea.

    The Shimane Prefectural Assembly designated Feb. 22 as "Takeshima Day," named after the tiny islands which are also claimed by South Korea.

    The ordinance states it aims at the establishment of territorial rights on the Takeshima islands at an early date and at enlightening the opinions of the nation with respect to this issue.

    In Seoul, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Lee Kyu-hyungsaid South Korea would "take every necessary measure" to have the Japanese legislation scrapped, warning that "Japan is to blame forall consequences."

    South Korean Deputy Foreign Minister Song Min-soon summoned Toshinao Urabe, deputy chief of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge a protest.

    The islands, known as Dokdo islands in South Korea, are located in the Sea of Japan between the two countries, some 89 kilometers southeast to South Korean Uleung Island and 160 kilometers northwest to Japanese Oki Island.

    South Korea is now controlling the islands.

    As the bill was in the process to clear the local parliament, the South Korean government and public had responded vehemently. On March 1, Seoul announced that it had decided to postpone indefinitely a visit to Tokyo by Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon.

    Still, Ban warned on Tuesday that South Korea would resort to "tangible" actions in order to defend its territory.

    "We should take tangible steps to solidify our sovereignty if Japan does a provocative act," Ban told a cabinet meeting.

    The South Korean people have mounted large demonstrations to protest against the move on the Japanese side. During a protest infront of the Japanese Embassy on Monday, two angry South Koreans cut off the upper parts of their little fingers, claiming they will mail them to Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

    As the assembly was discussing the bill on Wednesday, the Japanese police stopped a Seoul city assemblyman from cutting off his finger and writing a blood statement outside the assembly hall, Kyodo News reported.

    "Both sides need to deal with this in a level-headed manner with the basic tone of friendship between Japan and South Korea, not swayed too much by the recent emotional conflict," the Japanese premier was quoted as saying by Kyodo News after the adoption of the bill, repeating his comments over the past severaldays.

    Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda also called for a solution through dialogue. "We will continue to hold various talks on Japan-South Korea relations. We have been resolving bilateral issues through dialogue and this, I think, is an extension of that," Hosoda said in a press conference.

    In a meeting with South Korean Ambassador Ra Jong-yil, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi held on to Japan's claim over the islands, but also said the two sides should strive for the development of bilateral relations taking the situation in a calm manner, not reacting to it emotionally, Kyodo News reported.

    The Japanese government said the adoption of the bill falls within the regional assembly's autonomy.

    The islands dispute, coupled with Japan's ongoing drive to revise history textbook whitewashing its past wrongdoings, has put the bilateral relations on the rocks.

    Koizumi and South Korean President Roh Moo-hyun held several summit talks over the past two years, agreeing to promote the bilateral ties. This year has been designated as the Japan-South Korea friendship year.

    Tokyo is also looking to South Korea to play an active role in the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

    However, the momentum is confronted with hard test now because of the territorial dispute and history problem. Japan exercised harsh colonial rule on the Korean Peninsula between 1910-1945.

    Roh, who has been very cautious in balancing the diplomatic relations with Japan and the national feeling, urged on March 1 Japan to make a sincere apology and compensate for wrongdoings committed in its colonial rule. Enditem