Japan protests South Korea's Dokdo drills as 'unacceptable'

Japan's Foreign Ministry has lodged a strong protest with South Korea over recent military drills conducted near the disputed islets of Dokdo, which Japan refers to as Takeshima. Tokyo considers the exercises, held without prior consent, to be unacceptable.

According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Kanai Masaaki, Director-General of the Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, conveyed the protest to Lee Sang-ryeol, Minister-Counselor at the South Korean Embassy in Japan. Simultaneously, Chujo Kazuo, Minister of the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, delivered a similar protest to Lee Min-kyung, Director-General of the Northeast Asian Affairs Bureau at South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

South Korea's Navy stated that the drills, held annually, are intended to respond to threats against its territory, people, and property. The scale and methods of the training were reported to be similar to previous exercises. This marks the third such drill under the current administration, with the last one occurring on December 24 of the previous year.

South Korea maintains that Dokdo is an inherent part of its territory, supported by historical, geographical, and international law. Japan, however, continues to assert its sovereignty over the islets, reiterating its consistent position on the matter.