南韓、中止建設竹島設施…被指「回避摩擦」

A few weeks ago the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

韓国、竹島の施設建設中止…「摩擦回避」指摘も

2014年11月05日 21時00分

　【ソウル＝吉田敏行】韓国政府が島根県竹島（韓国名・独島）で計画していた観光客用の支援施設建設で、施工業者を決める入札を取りやめたことがわかった。

　韓国メディアは「日本との外交摩擦を避けた」と指摘したが、韓国首相室は４日夜、「安全管理や環境などの面で追加の検討が必要だった」として、日本への配慮を否定している。

　問題は４日夜、韓国の一部新聞などが報じていたもので、韓国政府は領有権の主張を強化する目的で２０１７年までに１００億ウォン（約１０億円）を投じ、緊急時に観光客を避難させるなどとして施設の建設を計画。先月２０日に入札公告が行われた。だが、関係閣僚らの今月１日の会議で、入札公告の取り消しが決まり、建設は暫定的に中止されたという。

　ただ、韓国政府関係者は５日、本紙に対し、「建設すれば日本を刺激し、反発を招く恐れがある」と述べた。

(試譯文)

   There were indications that the Korean government had canceled a tender which could decide the contractor for the planned tourist supporting facilities construction work in Takeshima of Shimane-county (Korean name: Tok-do).

   Although the Korean media pointed out that “it was to avoid diplomatic friction with Japan", the Korean prime minister office in the evening of the 4^th (November) supposed that "additional consideration was needed in a face of the safety control and the environment", and denied it was out of a consideration for Japan.

   On this problem, in the evening on the 4th, some Korean newspapers reported that, for the purpose of strengthening the insistence of its possession right, the Korean government would throw in 10,000 million won (about 1,000 million yen) by 2017 to plan the construction of facilities, which in case of emergency tourists could use them for refuge. The tender proclamation was made on the 20th last month (October), but was canceled as was decided in a meeting held by related cabinet ministers on the first of this month (November). It was said that the construction was canceled temporarily.

   On the 5th, people related to the Korean government said to this paper that "there were fears that to proceed with the construction could agitate Japan and cause retaliation".

I think it is a wise diplomatic move to put on hold the construction project.