Korea voices 'strong' protest against Japan's renewed territorial claim to Dokdo

Taisuke Mibae, the deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, is seen at the Seoul foreign ministry, Tuesday, after he was summoned by the Korean government in protest of Japan's territorial claim over Dokdo in its latest foreign policy paper. Yonhap

The foreign ministry on Tuesday expressed "strong protest" against Japan's territorial claim to Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo in its latest foreign policy paper, calling for an immediate withdrawal.

Releasing this year's Diplomatic Bluebook earlier in the day, the Japanese government once again renewed its claim to the Korea-controlled islets, as it did the previous year.

"We strongly protest against the repetition of the unjust territorial claim to Dokdo, which is clearly our territory based on history, geography and international law," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

"We urged (Japan) to immediately withdraw this," it said.

The government also vowed to respond sternly to "any kinds of provocations by Japan" regarding Dokdo.

The ministry subsequently called in Taisuke Mibae, minister at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge a formal protest with Japan.

A stern-faced Mibae entered the foreign ministry's headquarters in central Seoul without responding to a flurry of questions from reporters about the territorial claim's impact on Korea-Japan relations, among other issues. (Yonhap)