South Korea’s defense ministry summoned Japan’s defence envoy to object to the annual white paper published in Tokyo, which made a territorial claim over disputed islands located in the East Sea.

Both sides claim a territorial right over the Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese islands which lie roughly halfway between the two countries. 

South Korea’s Defense Ministry said in a statement that its international affairs chief, Lee Kwang-seok, has summoned the Japanese defense envoy to Korea in protest.

Lee demanded the immediate removal of Japan’s territorial claims from the paper and added that the government will “sternly respond to any attempts to harm sovereignty over the Dokdo islands".

Tokyo has claimed the islands as its territory in the annual defense white paper for decades; however, they are currently controlled by Seoul with a small group of coast guards. 

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