The government expressed deep regret over Japan’s reiterating of its claims over South Korean islets of Dokdo on Friday.

On Friday the Japanese government released a diplomatic report claiming Dokdo as Japanese territory, prompting Seoul to issue a statement refuting the claims.

With the development coming days after Japan approved new set of textbooks that claim Dokdo as Japanese territory, Seoul’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has responded with unusually firm stance. On March 27, new textbooks citing Dokdo as Japanese territory were released, rekindling concerns over Japan’s continued distortion of historical facts.

“The government expresses deep regret that the Japanese government is making wrongful sovereignty claim over our territory of Dokdo,” Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Cho Byung-jae said. This is the first time a Foreign Ministry spokesman has made a formal statement about Japan’s Diplomatic Blue Book, which has contained claims to Dokdo since 1963.

“We exercise absolute territorial sovereignty over Dokdo. Any claims made by Japan regarding the issue are meaningless.”

In addition to the spokesman’s statement, the ministry also summoned a counselor with the Japanese Embassy in Seoul and conveyed its complaint to the Japanese diplomatic mission.

The Blue Book reiterates Japan’s claims over the islets citing “historical facts” and “international laws.”

“There is sovereignty dispute between Korea and Japan, but the Japanese government’s position that Dokdo is clearly Japanese territory in light of historical facts and international laws remains constant,” the Japanese government said in the section of the Blue Book regarding Korea.

Although such claims have been found in Japan’s Diplomatic Blue Book for a number of years, this year’s report includes new statements regarding Korean activities concerning the islets in the East Sea.

The report says that Japan has been making its claims known through diverse channels and that its government has lodged complaints to the Korean government regarding construction of facilities on and around Dokdo, and Korean government officials and lawmakers visiting the islets.

The report goes on to say that the Japanese government will continue to make “diplomatic efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the problem.”

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)