At the end of World War II, Japan designated Dokdo, a set of South Korean-controlled islets in the East Sea that Tokyo now claims as its own, as foreign territory, Yonhap News Agency reported Monday, quoting a post-war government document.

The document, obtained by South Korean lawmaker Park Sun-young from a Japanese official, shows the Japanese finance ministry proclaimed in Notification 654 on Aug. 15, 1946 that "Jukdo," the former name for the islets, is foreign territory. The document was compiled to settle Japanese companies' debts after Tokyo surrendered in the war.

Rep. Park said she obtained the document after a year-long search.

The notification also marked Korea, Taiwan, Sakhalin, the Kuril Islands and the South Sea Islands as foreign countries or foreign territories.

Dokdo has long been a key target of Japan's territorial claims. South Korea has maintained a police contingent on the islets since the end of the 1950-53 Korean War, exercising effective control over it.