▲ Kazuo Chujo, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, enters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 4th after being summoned in response to territorial claims over Dokdo in Japan's defense white paper.
The South Korean government has lodged a protest and urged the retraction of Japan's renewed claims to Dokdo as its inherent territory in its defense white paper.
"The government strongly protests the Japanese government's repeated and unjust territorial claims in its defense white paper regarding Dokdo, which is clearly our sovereign territory historically, geographically, and under international law, and urges its immediate withdrawal," said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Park Doo-soon during a regular briefing today (the 4th).
"We once again clearly state that the Japanese government's unjust claims have no impact whatsoever on our sovereignty over Dokdo, and we will firmly respond to any provocations by Japan regarding Dokdo," he emphasized.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned an official from the Japanese Embassy in South Korea this afternoon.
In this year's defense white paper released following a Cabinet meeting today, the Japanese government stated, "The territorial issue regarding the Northern Territories (Japan's term for the four Kuril Islands) and Takeshima (Japan's term for Dokdo), which are inherent territories of our country (Japan), remains unresolved."
In Japan, the term "inherent territory" is used to mean land that has never belonged to a foreign country.
Japan has persisted in its distorted claims regarding Dokdo in its defense white paper for 22 consecutive years since 2005.
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※
Copying, redistribution, and unauthorized use in AI training are strictly prohibited.