South Korea Condemns Japan for Commemorating Disputed Islands

South Korea on Sunday criticised Japan for commemorating a cluster of disputed islands, calling the move an unjust assertion of sovereignty over its territory. In a statement, Seoul’s foreign ministry said it strongly objected to the “Takeshima Day” event organised by Shimane prefecture and to the attendance of a senior Japanese government official, urging Tokyo to abolish the ceremony immediately. The small islets — known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea — have remained a source of tension since Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula from 1910 to 1945. The territory comprises two main islands and around 30 smaller rocks, with a South Korean coastguard detachment stationed there since 1954. Shimane prefecture established “Takeshima Day” in 2005, a move that has repeatedly triggered protests from Seoul. The foreign ministry said Dokdo is South Korea’s sovereign territory historically, geographically and under international law, and called on Japan to drop what it described as groundless claims. Seoul summoned a senior Japanese diplomat to lodge a formal protest and has repeatedly objected to Tokyo’s territorial claims, including recent remarks by Japan’s foreign minister asserting sovereignty over the islets during a parliamentary address. Seoul says the territory lies in fertile fishing grounds and may sit above substantial deposits of natural gas hydrate that could be worth billions of dollars. Deadly explosions in Lviv killed a 23-year-old policewoman and injured around two dozen people; authorities are treating the incident as a terrorist attack. A suspect has been detained, and an investigation is underway to determine those responsible for the blasts. The attack comes amid intensified Russian aerial strikes across Ukraine, impacting civilian infrastructure and economic assets. Get the latest stories delivered straight to your inbox.