South Korea ‘strongly protests’ Japan’s renewed Dokdo claim in defence white paper

• South Korea strongly protested against Japan’s renewed territorial claim to the Dokdo islets in the annual defence white paper. The paper, adopted by Tokyo during a Cabinet session, reiterated Japan’s claim to the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea for the 19th consecutive year.
• South Korea responded by demanding an immediate retraction of the claim, asserting that Dokdo is an integral part of ROK territory historically, geographically, and under international law. The ROK government warned that such claims would not affect its sovereignty over Dokdo and vowed to respond firmly to any provocation. The tension over the islets comes amid recent efforts by both countries to improve bilateral relations, including trilateral security cooperation with the United States against North Korea’s military threats.

External Link : https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/nation/2023/07/120_355896.html