South Korea 'strongly' protests Japan's renewed claims to Dokdo

Seoul, April 16 (IANS) South Korea on Tuesday expressed its strong opposition towards Japan after the latter released an annual diplomatic report that reasserted its territorial claims over the easternmost islets of Dokdo.

The dispute over the sovereignty of Dokdo has been a longstanding issue between the two countries, and this recent move by Japan has only escalated the tension between them.

To protest the report, South Korea's foreign ministry called in Taisuke Mibae, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, Yonhap news agency reported.

The claim, strongly disputed by South Korea, which has long maintained effective control of Dokdo with the permanent stationing of security personnel there, was included in the 2024 Diplomatic Bluebook that was reported to the Cabinet by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa.

In this year's report, Japan continued to claim that Dokdo is Japanese territory historically and under international law, and that South Korea is carrying on with an "illegal occupation" of the area.

"The government strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated unfair territorial claims over Dokdo, which is clearly our own territory historically, geographically and under international law, as announced in its Diplomatic Bluebook released on April 16, and urges (Japan) to withdraw it immediately," foreign ministry spokesperson Lim Soo-suk said in a commentary.

Lim added that such claims by Japan have no impact whatsoever on South Korea's sovereignty over the islets, which are Korea's inherent territory.

South Korea has long maintained the position that Dokdo is an integral part of Korean territory historically, geographically and under international law.

In the report, Japan again took issue with the South Korean Supreme Court's ruling that ordered Japanese companies to compensate South Koreans forced into wartime labor during Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.