South Korea Protests Japan Over Disputed Islands Event, Cites Sovereignty

• South Korea strongly protested Japan's 'Takeshima Day' event, calling it an unjust assertion of sovereignty over its territory.
• The foreign ministry urged Japan to immediately abolish the ceremony and drop its claims over the islets.
• The disputed islands, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, have been a source of tension since Japan's colonial rule.
• South Korea maintains Dokdo is its sovereign territory historically, geographically, and under international law, and has stationed a coastguard detachment there since 1954.
• Seoul also summoned a top Japanese diplomat and has repeatedly objected to Japan's territorial claims, citing potential rich fishing grounds and natural gas deposits.