On July 15, the government urged the Japanese government to "immediately withdraw" its repeated territorial claims over Dokdo. Japan has been making these unfounded claims for 21 consecutive years since 2005.
Lee Jaewoong, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated in a commentary on the same day, "We strongly protest the Japanese government's reiteration of its unjust territorial claim over Dokdo, which is clearly our inherent territory historically, geographically, and under international law, as expressed in the defense white paper released on July 15."
He further emphasized, "The government reiterates that any claim by the Japanese government over Dokdo, which is the inherent territory of the Republic of Korea, has absolutely no impact on our sovereignty," adding, "We will respond firmly to any provocation by Japan regarding Dokdo."
Earlier on the same day, the Japanese government adopted its 2025 defense white paper at a cabinet meeting, which included the statement that 'the territorial issue over Takeshima (the name Japan uses to refer to Dokdo) as Japan's inherent territory remains unresolved.' It has also been reported that in maps indicating Japan's maritime and airspace, Dokdo is labeled as 'Takeshima' and included within Japanese territorial waters.
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