South Korea Protests Japanese Event Over Disputed Islands

Shisei Kuwabara via cas.go.jp

A set of remote islands called Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese.

South Korea on Sunday lodged a protest over a Japanese government-backed event commemorating a group of disputed islands claimed by both countries, describing the move as an unjust assertion of sovereignty over its territory.

In a statement, South Korea’s foreign ministry said it strongly objected to the “Takeshima Day” ceremony organised by Shimane Prefecture and to the participation of a senior Japanese government official. It urged Japan to abolish the event immediately.

The small islets — known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, which currently administers them — have long been a source of tension between the two neighbours. Relations remain strained by

"Dokdo is clearly South Korea's sovereign territory historically, geographically and under international law," the ministry said, calling on Japan to drop what it described as groundless claims and to face history with humility.

South Korea’s foreign ministry summoned a senior Japanese diplomat to its headquarters in Seoul to formally lodge a protest over the ceremony.

A spokesperson at Japan’s foreign ministry said no official was available on Sunday to comment. A call to the Prime Minister’s Office also went unanswered. The Japanese government dispatched a vice-minister from the Cabinet Office, rather than a cabinet minister, to attend the event.

Seoul has repeatedly objected to Japan’s territorial claims over the disputed islets. On Friday, it issued a further protest in response to remarks by Japan’s foreign minister during a parliamentary address asserting Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islands.

The territory lies in rich fishing grounds and may sit atop substantial deposits of natural gas hydrate, potentially worth billions of dollars, according to Seoul.

Source: Reuters



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