South Korea strongly protests against Japan’s renewed claims to Dokdo

South Korea Strongly Opposes Japan’s Renewed Territorial Claims Over Dokdo

Seoul, April 16 (IANS) – South Korea has expressed its strong opposition towards Japan after the latter released an annual diplomatic report asserting its territorial claims over the easternmost islets of Dokdo. The dispute over Dokdo has long been a point of contention between the two countries, and this recent move has heightened tensions.

To protest the report, South Korea’s foreign ministry summoned Taisuke Mibae, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul. The claim, disputed by South Korea, was included in Japan’s 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook presented to the Cabinet by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

In the report, Japan maintains that Dokdo is its territory historically and under international law, accusing South Korea of an “illegal occupation.” South Korea’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Lim Soo-suk, stated, “The government strongly protests against the Japanese government’s repeated unfair territorial claims over Dokdo,” emphasizing that Dokdo is clearly South Korea’s territory.

South Korea has continuously asserted that Dokdo is an integral part of Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law. Japan also criticized the South Korean Supreme Court’s ruling ordering Japanese companies to compensate South Koreans forced into wartime labor during Japan’s colonial rule from 1910-1945. The ongoing dispute over Dokdo continues to strain relations between the two countries.