Korea protests against Japan over Dokdo By Yi Whan-woo

The defense and foreign ministries both summoned ranking officials from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to protest Tokyo’s renewed territorial claims over Korea’s easternmost islets of Dokdo in its annual defense white paper released Tuesday.

The defense white paper included Dokdo, claimed by Tokyo as Takeshima, as a part of Japanese territory for 13 consecutive years.

Koichi Mizushima, deputy chief of the mission at the Japanese Embassy in Korea, enters the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in downtown Seoul, Tuesday. The foreign and defense ministries called in Mizushima and Kyosuke Tsushima, Japanese defense attache at the embassy, respectively, in protest of Tokyo’s territorial claim over Dokdo in its white defense paper issued on Tuesday. / Yonhap

The Ministry of National Defense said it summoned Kyosuke Tsushima, Japanese defense attache in Seoul, to lodge a formal complaint.

“We strongly protest against Japan for making these idle arguments over and over. We ask them to take corrective measures immediately and urge them not to repeat such acts,” it said.

It said it also expressed deep regret over Japan’s repeated territorial claim of Dokdo since 2005, adding “We will take stern measures against any attempts to dent our sovereignty.”

It asked Japan to face history squarely and make efforts for “a mature and future-oriented partnership” between the two countries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it summoned Koichi Mizushima, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy.

It separately issued a statement as well, asking Japan to drop its claim to Dokdo immediately.

“Dokdo is our indigenous territory in terms of history and geography and under international law. The Korean government will be strict on any provocations concerning Dokdo,” the statement read.

The foreign ministry claimed Japan’s argument “will not help at all” in improving bilateral relations.

In its diplomatic bluebook issued in April, Japan claimed its own sovereignty over Dokdo.

Source:.koreatimes.co.kr