rki.news
Seoul, April 10 (Xinhua) – South Korea on Friday lodged a strong protest over Japan’s renewed territorial claims to disputed islets known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.
The South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it firmly rejects Japan’s repeated inclusion of sovereignty claims over Dokdo in its diplomatic bluebook released earlier in the day. The ministry stressed that the islets are an integral part of South Korea’s territory historically, geographically, and under international law.
Seoul urged Tokyo to immediately withdraw such claims, emphasizing that Japan’s assertions have no legal bearing on South Korea’s sovereignty over the islands. It added that the government will continue to respond firmly to any future provocations related to Dokdo.
Dokdo consists of two small rocky outcrops located in the Sea of Japan (East Sea) between the two countries. Japan incorporated the islets during its colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
South Korea regained control following liberation and has since maintained a small police presence there. The issue remains a sensitive historical and diplomatic dispute, with Seoul viewing Japan’s claims as denial of its colonial past.