South Korea Protests Japan Over Island Claim

South Korea has formally protested after Japan repeated its claim over disputed islands controlled by Seoul.

South Korea summoned a Japanese diplomat to the Foreign Ministry after Japan’s latest diplomatic report again described the islands—known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan—as Japanese territory.

South Korean officials strongly rejected the claim, saying Japan’s statements will have no effect on South Korea’s sovereignty over the islands and promising a firm response to what they called repeated provocations.

The dispute began after Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi presented Japan’s annual Diplomatic Bluebook, which referred to South Korea’s control of the islands as an “illegal occupation.”

The small rocky islets have long been a source of tension between the two neighboring countries. Although both claim ownership, South Korea currently controls them and maintains a small police presence there.

The disagreement remains one of the most sensitive historical and territorial issues in relations between Japan and South Korea, often affecting broader diplomatic ties between the two nations.

Source: Newstimehub