South Korea summons Japanese diplomat over disputed islets

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Friday summoned a Japanese diplomat to protest Tokyo’s renewed territorial claim over disputed islets, according to local media reports.

Kim Sang-hoon, Director General for Asia-Pacific affairs, lodged a complaint with Hirotaka Matsuo, Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, who was summoned to the Foreign Ministry, Yonhap News reported.

“The government once again makes clear that Japan's unjust claim will have no influence on our sovereignty over Dokdo,” the South Korean Foreign Ministry said in a statement, pledging a firm response to Japan’s “provocations” regarding the islets.

The islets are known as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

The South Korean reaction came after Japan’s Foreign Ministry released its annual Diplomatic Bluebook, reiterating its claim to Dokdo and describing South Korea’s control of the islets as an “illegal occupation.” The report was presented at a Cabinet meeting by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi earlier in the day.

Dokdo has long been a sensitive issue between the two countries, with Japan continuing to assert sovereignty in policy papers, public statements, and school textbooks.

South Korea maintains a small police detachment on the islets, effectively exercising control over them.