According to the Foreign Ministry, the director general of the Asia-Oceania Affairs Office, Takehiro Funakishi, informed the ROK Embassy in the Japanese capital that the naval maneuvers around the islets are regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.

The strong complaint is based on international law, ‘in the light of historic facts,’ according to which Takeshima is part of Japan, the official communiqué stated.

On the other hand, the South Korean Defense Ministry informed that the ‘Dokdo defense training’ mobilized Navy and Coast Guard troops, as has been the case twice a year since 1986.

The aim of the drill is to defend the East Sea, which separates the peninsular nation from the Japanese archipelago, Yonhap news agency reported.

Unlike previous editions, the 2022 drills were conducted on a small scale and privately, without the landing of troops in Dokdo.

Seoul’s basic position defends the ‘irrefutable territorial sovereignty’ over the islets.

In this regard, it denies the existence of a dispute over Dokdo and dismisses the handling of this issue through diplomatic negotiations or judicial settlement.

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