SEOUL, February 22 (AJP) -South Korea on Sunday lodged a formal protest against Japan over a government-backed event asserting sovereignty over a cluster of disputed islets in the East Sea, calling the move an “unjust” repetition of territorial claims over Korean territory.
In a statement, Seoul’s foreign ministry said it “strongly protests” the annual “Takeshima Day” ceremony hosted by Japan’s Shimane Prefecture and the attendance of a senior Japanese government official, urging Tokyo to immediately abolish the event.
The rocky outcrops — known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan — have long been a flashpoint between the two neighbors. Seoul maintains effective control over the islets, which lie in rich fishing grounds and are believed to sit atop potentially valuable natural gas hydrate reserves.
“Dokdo is clearly South Korea’s sovereign territory historically, geographically and under international law,” the ministry said, calling on Japan to halt what it described as groundless claims and to “face history with humility.”
The ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to formally deliver its protest.
According to Japanese media reports, Tokyo dispatched Naoki Furukawa, a Cabinet Office parliamentary vice minister, to the ceremony in Matsue, the capital of Shimane Prefecture.
Furukawa said the islets are “clearly inherent Japanese territory” based on historical facts and international law, describing South Korea’s control as “an illegal occupation without any basis” that “cannot be tolerated.” He added that Japan would continue to press its position persistently.
Japan has sent a parliamentary vice minister to the annual event since 2013. There had been speculation that a cabinet minister might attend following the inauguration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, known for her conservative stance. However, Tokyo kept representation at the same level as in previous years, in what observers see as a sign of caution amid improving bilateral ties.
Shimane Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama also reiterated Japan’s claim, while conservative newspaper Sankei Shimbun argued in an editorial that Tokyo should take a firmer stance, drawing parallels with high-level attendance at Japan’s “Northern Territories Day” events concerning disputed islands with Russia.
Seoul has repeatedly objected to Japan’s claims, including a separate protest issued Friday after Japan’s foreign minister reaffirmed Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islets in a parliamentary address.
Despite the annual flare-ups, analysts say the dispute is unlikely to escalate into a full-scale diplomatic crisis. Relations between Seoul and Tokyo have improved in recent years, driven in part by shared security concerns over North Korea’s advancing nuclear program and the need for closer trilateral coordination with the United States.
A diplomatic source said Seoul intends to maintain a “two-track” approach — responding firmly on sovereignty while separating the Dokdo issue from broader cooperation in security and economic areas.
“Strengthening effective control and continuing to inform the international community of Dokdo’s status is more important than reacting to each repeated claim,” the source said.
Still, the recurring ceremony underscores how historical grievances rooted in Japan’s 1910–45 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula continue to shape regional diplomacy, even as strategic realities push both sides toward pragmatic cooperation.
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