Japanese Embassy returns Moon's New Year gift over 'Dokdo image' on box

The Japanese Embassy in Seoul has refused to accept South Korean President Moon Jae-in's Lunar New Year gift, claiming the gift's box bears an image of South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, Japanese news reports said Saturday.

Upon the refusal, the embassy lodged a protest and repeated Japan's territorial claim to the islets.

The presidential office did not make any specific comments on the issue.