Seoul protests Tokyo's Dokdo claim in defense paper

South Korea has lodged a strong protest against Japan's latest defense white paper, which once again asserted Tokyo's claim over the islets of Dokdo, known as Takeshima in Japan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a senior Japanese diplomat to convey its firm objection and demand the immediate retraction of the statement.

In a press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Boo Hyun-kwon stated, "The government strongly protests Japan's repeated assertion of its unjust sovereignty claim over Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law, and urges its immediate withdrawal." He emphasized that Japan's unfounded claims have no bearing on South Korea's sovereignty and vowed a resolute response to any provocations.

Choo Kazuwo, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on Tuesday afternoon. He entered the ministry building with a stern expression before proceeding to meet with officials from the Asia-Pacific department.

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The government strongly protests Japan's repeated assertion of its unjust sovereignty claim over Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law, and urges its immediate withdrawal.

Japan's 2024 defense white paper, released following a cabinet meeting, stated that "territorial disputes, including the Northern Territories (Japan's name for the Kuril Islands) and Takeshima, remain unresolved." The paper defines "inherent territory" as land that has never been foreign territory. Similar to the previous year, a map included in the white paper labeled the waters around Dokdo as a "territorial dispute over Takeshima" and depicted the islets within Japan's exclusive economic zone and air defense identification zone, reinforcing Tokyo's claims.

This marks the 22nd consecutive year Japan has included such territorial claims in its defense white paper. Despite the ongoing dispute, the white paper also described South Korea as a "partner and important neighbor" with whom Japan must cooperate on various global challenges. The document also expressed strong vigilance regarding China's expanding military influence in the maritime domain and outlined plans to counter military cooperation between North Korea, China, and Russia through alliances.

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Japan's unfounded claims have no bearing on our sovereignty over Dokdo, and we reiterate that we will respond resolutely to any Japanese provocations regarding Dokdo.