Seungbeom Lee, Director of International Policy, "Firm Response to Sovereignty Damage"
The Ministry of National Defense summoned the Japanese military attach? in Korea to protest Japan's description of Dokdo as its "inherent territory" in its Defense White Paper.
On the 12th, Lee Seung-beom, Director of International Policy, called in Takeda Yohei, the Ground Self-Defense Force officer of the Japanese Defense Attach? Office in Korea, urging immediate correction and cessation of such statements in the future. Director Lee reiterated that Dokdo is inherently Korean territory based on history, geography, and international law, and warned that any attempts to undermine Korea's sovereignty over Dokdo will be firmly countered.
On the 12th, Takeida Yohei, the Japanese Defense Attach? to South Korea from the Ground Self-Defense Force, who was summoned by the Ministry of National Defense, is entering the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
On the same day, the Japanese government adopted the 2024 Defense White Paper at a cabinet meeting. The white paper included the phrase, "The Northern Territories (the Japanese term for the four Kuril Islands) and Takeshima (the name Japan claims for Dokdo) territorial issues, which are inherent territories of our country (Japan), remain unresolved." This wording is the same as last year’s, and Japan’s unfounded claims in the Defense White Paper have continued for 20 years since 2005.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also issued a spokesperson’s statement strongly protesting Japan’s repeated unjust territorial claims over Dokdo, which is clearly Korea’s inherent territory based on history, geography, and international law, and urged immediate withdrawal of such claims. It further warned Japan to clearly recognize that repeating unjust claims over Dokdo does not help in building a future-oriented Korea-Japan relationship.
Kim Sang-hoon, Director of the Asia-Pacific Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to summon officials from the Japanese Embassy in Korea this afternoon to protest.
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