Eco-Nazis and Korean Coast Guard Face Off Over Dokto Dogs
The Korean Eco-Nazis are trying to evict two dogs from the disputed Dokto Islets:
But now, the “guardian dogs’’ of the islets _ Komi and Mongi _ are likely to be expelled as the Cultural Heritage Administration has officially requested that the island police remove the animal.
The administration has said that the five-year-old dogs are damaging the eco system of Dokdo by killing fork-tailed petrels and black-tailed gulls.
The administration discovered that the dogs have also eaten the birds’ eggs. The black-tailed gulls are designated by the government as a precious natural treasure.
I find this so stupid because there is no way those two dogs can eat all the birds on Dokto. I have been to Dokto myself and I can confirm that is going to take a heck of a lot more than two dogs to eat all the birds on those two rocks. The amount of birds that nest on Dokto was one of the first things I noticed about the place. There is definitely an impressive amount of birds that live there.
I got to give the Coast Guard credit they are not giving up the two dogs without a fight:
Despite the decision by the cultural institution, police do not have an immediate plan for the dogs’ removal.
Instead, they will ask members of the coast guard to set up stricter guidelines concerning the animal.
“They are the guardian dogs of the coast guard and part of their family. They were born on the island and were raised there, too. We will keep the dogs with us,’’ said an official at the police agency, on condition of anonymity.
“The dogs have been our friends and they are loved by tourists as well,’’ Seo Jung-pyo, a head of the coast guards, said on the phone.
Give these coast guard kids a break out there. Dokto has got to be a horribly boring assignment at least let these guys keep their two dogs.
Plus I always got to roll my eyes when I hear Korean environmentalists talk about protecting the environment here in Korea. Something that just constantly frustrates me during my travels, is all the litter left by picnickers and hikers along the Korean streams and mountain trails. I still have never read anything from Korean environmentalists condemning this, yet they go after these two dogs.
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Check out the GI Korea Dokto Photo Album for some great pictures from these infamous islets.
I gotta disagree with you. There were twelve dogs and there is likely to be more again. As well, as you noted, there are other invasive influences, litterbug tourists among them.
I also think that the police should be taking their job of protecting the island seriously, not being actively involved in damaging the island.
The article said it was currently two dogs they want expelled and back in 1998 there was 12 dogs but they were later expelled for similar problems. So I'm assuming these should be the last two dogs on the island. As far as litter on the islands, tourists are no longer allowed on the islands because of this. I still have a hard time believing two dogs are a threat to the environment there. When I went there the amount of birds on the islets is really impressive. If the dogs are so bad then a compromise should be worked out where they are kept on a leash. That should make everyone happy.
Koreans are always stupid, especially on the land of "Dokto".
They decided to show a very large Korean national flag over the irelands in order to praise their warped nationalism.
See the aftermath of their attempt.
http://www.newsis.com/sub_main/photo_describe.asp…