Seoul: South Korea strongly protested on Friday after Japan’s top diplomat renewed territorial claims to disputed islets located between the two countries. The islets are known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

According to Anadolu Agency, Seoul lodged a formal protest with the Japanese Embassy following Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi’s reference to the islets by their Japanese name, Takeshima. During a parliamentary speech, Motegi described the islets as part of Japanese territory, pledging a firm government response on the issue, which drew swift objections from South Korea.

“The government strongly protests Japan’s reiteration of its unjust territorial claim to Dokdo in the foreign minister’s parliamentary speech and urges its immediate retraction,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry stated. The ministry emphasized that Japan’s claim has no bearing on South Korea’s sovereignty over the islets and vowed to take “resolution action” against such statements.

The ministry further asserted, “Dokdo is clearly our own territory historically, geographically and under international law, and Japan should realize that repeating its unjust claim does not help effort to build future-oriented South Korea-Japan relations.” The islets have long been a sensitive issue between the two countries, with Japan maintaining its sovereignty claims in various official documents and statements.

South Korea effectively exercises control over the islets by maintaining a small police detachment there, underscoring its stance on the territorial dispute.