[JoongAng Ilbo , National, Politics, October 3 2008] Korea and Japan agree on joint test near Dokdo

South Korea and Japan are expected to continue joint radioactivity contamination tests in the sea near Dokdo, the Korean-controlled islets called Takeshima in Japan, for three straight years, despite the recent flare-up in the territorial dispute over the islets.

Since 2006, the two countries have been jointly conducting scientific tests on the impact of radioactive waste Russia dumped in the sea decades ago. The waters in which the tests are being conducted are about 80 kilometers (50 miles) away from Dokdo, according to a senior South Korean government official who asked for customary anonymity.