South Korea Lodges Protest Over Japan’s Renewed Islet Claims

RunWithRugs · 2026-03-26T03:20:44+00:00

South Korea lodged a formal protest against Japan after it reaffirmed claims over disputed islets, Dokdo/Takeshima, in new high school textbooks. The issue remains contentious, with both nations asserting territorial rights.

RunWithRugs

2026-03-26 03:20:44

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(MENAFN) South Korea filed a formal protest on Tuesday after Japan reiterated territorial claims over disputed islets located between the two nations, as stated by reports.

The islands, called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan, have long been a point of tension. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry summoned Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge the protest following Tokyo’s approval of new high school textbooks that reaffirm Japan’s claims over the islets.

“We strongly protest the approval of high school textbooks that distort historical facts and call for their immediate correction,” said Park Il, spokesperson for South Korea’s Foreign Ministry.

The protest came after Japan’s Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Ministry released the final list of social studies textbooks authorized for use in high schools starting next year. Many of the textbooks describe Dokdo, referred to as Takeshima by Japan, as Japanese territory.

Dokdo has long been a sensitive issue, with Japan maintaining claims through policy papers, public statements, and educational materials. Meanwhile, South Korea continues to exercise effective control by stationing a small police detachment on the islets.

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