The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense have protested Japan's annual defense white paper for calling Dokdo Island its "native territory" and urged an immediate retraction. (Dokdo Management Office)

By Park Hye Ri

The government has strongly protested the claim of Japan's annual defense white paper that Korea's easternmost island of Dokdo is Japanese "native territory," urging an immediate retraction.

The Japanese Ministry of Defense on July 15 released the document and distributed some 6,100 copies of a children's version to elementary schools nationwide. An online version of the youth edition debuted online in 2021, but this was the first time for it to be released as a book and sent to such schools.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Seoul wrote in a spokesperson’s commentary, "The government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) strongly protests against the Japanese government's repeated inclusion of unjust sovereignty claims over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of the ROK territory historically, geographically and under international law, in the 'Defense of Japan 2025' released on July 15."

"The ROK government urges the Japanese government to immediately withdraw such claims."

"The ROK government makes it clear once again that any claims by the Japanese government over Dokdo, an integral part of the ROK territory, do not and will not have any impact on the ROK's sovereignty over it and that it will respond firmly to any provocation by Japan over Dokdo."

In a related development, Kim Sang-hoon, director-general of the ministry's Asian and Pacific Affairs Bureau, summoned Yoshiyasu Iseki, acting minister of the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to the ministry in Seoul's Jongno-gu District to file a protest.

The Ministry of National Defense also lodged a protest against the Japanese government. Lee Kwang-seok, director-general of the ministry's International Policy Bureau, summoned Japanese defense attache Hirofumi Inoue to urge an immediate correction to the claim and no recurrence.

Director-general Lee said "We reaffirmed that Dokdo is our native territory historically and geographically and under international law and will resolutely respond to any attempt to infringe on our sovereignty over the island."

hrhr@korea.kr