Japan protests to South Korea over marine survey near disputed islets
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Japan has lodged a formal protest after detecting a South Korean research vessel near the disputed Dokdo islets in the Sea of Japan, sparking tensions between Tokyo and Seoul over the territory.
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The disputed Dokdo islets, known as Takeshima in Japan, are observed during a Korean Air Airbus A380 demonstration flight on June 16, 2011. (AP)
Japan has lodged a formal protest with South Korea after detecting a South Korean research vessel operating near the disputed Dokdo islets in the East Sea, also known as the Sea of Japan.
According to a statement released by the Japanese Foreign Ministry on Saturday, Masaaki Kanai, head of the ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, communicated the protest to South Korean diplomats on Friday.
The Japanese statement said the vessel, named ONNURI, dropped an object "resembling a wire into the sea" in waters near the contested islets.
The islets, referred to as Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, are administered by Seoul but claimed by Tokyo. The territorial issue has long been a source of friction between the two neighbors.
In the statement, Japan reiterated its position, saying, "Takeshima is clearly an integral part of Japanese territory, in light of historical facts and under international law."
South Korea is yet to respond officially
As of now, South Korea has not issued a formal response to the protest from the Japanese Foreign Ministry. However, the South Korean government's position on Dokdo has consistently emphasized its sovereignty over the islets.
The Dokdo islets lie in a strategic area of the East Sea and have been at the center of a long-standing dispute between the two countries over the Dokdo islets. Japan’s claims, often restated in official documents and public remarks, are routinely rejected by Seoul, which maintains a small security presence on the islets.
The latest incident involving the ONNURI research vessel adds to the ongoing tensions in the region, with both sides continuing to assert their positions over the territory.
Two years ago, on April 11, 2023, South Korean Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lim Soo-suk underlined that Seoul "strongly protests" Tokyo's territorial claim to the disputed Dokdo (Takeshima) Islands.
Tokyo's claim to the islands was included in the 2023 Diplomatic Bluebook, Japan's annual report on foreign policy and activities.
