Gov’t rejects Japan’s renewed Dokdo claim, vows firm response

Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi responds to questions from reporters at the prime minister's official residence in Tokyo, Wednesday. AFP-Yonhap

The presidential office on Friday rejected Japan’s renewed territorial claim over Dokdo, stressing that no sovereignty dispute exists over Korea's easternmost islets.

It vowed a firm response to what it described as Tokyo’s unjustified assertions.

“Dokdo is clearly an integral part of Korea’s territory historically, geographically and under international law,” the presidential office said in a statement. “There is no territorial dispute over Dokdo and the government will respond firmly and sternly to any unjustified claims from Japan.”

The response came after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reiterated Tokyo’s claim to the islets and suggested that her government could send a Cabinet member to the annual “Takeshima Day” event. Tokyo refers to Dokdo by its Japanese name, Takeshima.

Speaking Thursday during a session of the House of Representatives Budget Committee, Takaichi said Japan would continue to promote its position on the islets internationally.

“We will clearly let the international community know that Takeshima is Japanese territory,” she said. “We will work to create the conditions so that a Cabinet member will one day attend the Takeshima Day event.”

Takeshima Day is held every year in February in Shimane prefecture, which claims administrative jurisdiction over the islets. The Japanese government has typically sent a vice minister-level official to the event.

Takaichi has previously indicated that she would consider sending a higher-level government representative to the ceremony, though Tokyo has so far refrained from doing so amid diplomatic sensitivities with Seoul.

Dokdo, located in the East Sea between the two countries, is administered by Korea with a small police detachment stationed on the islets. The territorial issue has long remained a source of tension between Seoul and Tokyo despite broader efforts by the two governments to improve bilateral relations.