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Lawmakers want S Korean land back

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) yesterday vowed to retrieve Taiwanese property in South Korea that was seized by China after Seoul and Taipei broke diplomatic ties 13 years ago.

A multiparty delegation of three lawmakers, led by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Tang Bi-a (唐碧娥), left for Seoul on Wednesday to investigate the land-ownership dispute in which real estate owned by the Republic of China (ROC) was taken over by the People's Republic of China (PRC) after South Korea switched recognition to PRC in 1992.

Tang said the real estate was an annex between the former ROC embassy building and a road. The property was at the time categorized as not being part of the embassy property, but legally owned by the ROC government.

South Korea had agreed not to interfere with properties owned by the ROC government when the two countries broke ties in 1992. However, ownership of the land was given to the PRC in 1995.

The area of the land is 225m2 and located in an upmarket area of central Seoul, and is worth about NT$200 million (US$6.06 million).

MOFA yesterday said the land dispute is currently in the courts, and that the government will step up its efforts to retrieve Taiwan's property.

"The property of the ROC's embassy in South Korea was inherited by the PRC after Seoul switched its recognition of `China' to the PRC in 1992," MOFA deputy spokesman David Wang (王建業) said.

Although Taiwan had contested that the property ownership belongs to Taiwan, the reality of international politics was not conducive to Taiwan's retrieving the land as long as Taiwan's national name remains the "ROC" and most countries adhere to the "one-China" policy, the official said.

Tang said that the properties owned by the ROC government in South Korea are worth more than US$1.2 billion.
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