South Korea's Defense Ministry summoned the Japanese defense attaché, Reuters reported. The move is an expression of protest against Tokyo's annual white paper, in which Japan again makes territorial claims to the disputed islands in the East Sea, News.bg reports.
The islands, known as Tokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, are located roughly halfway between the two countries. Both Seoul and Tokyo have claimed historical rights to them for decades.
The South Korean Defense Ministry said that the head of the international relations department, Lee Kwang-seok, had summoned the Japanese military attaché to the country to express a formal protest. Lee has insisted on the immediate removal of territorial claims from the document and stressed that Seoul will "respond firmly to any attempts to infringe on sovereignty over the Tokdo Islands."
Japan has claimed the islands as part of its territory for decades, a position that is regularly included in its defense white paper, something that invariably provokes South Korea's indignation.
Currently, the disputed islands are under Seoul's control, guarded by a small contingent of the South Korean Coast Guard.