Chinedu Okafor
February 22, 2026
South Korea has lodged a strong protest against Japan over a government backed event, marking sovereignty claims on a group of disputed islands known as Dokdo in Korea, Takeshima in Japan.
The protest followed the Takeshima Day ceremony organized by Japan’s Shimane prefecture with the attendance of a senior official from the Japanese government. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry described the event as an unjust attempt to assert sovereignty over territory it says clearly belongs to Seoul.
In a statement, the ministry maintained that Dokdo is South Korea’s sovereign territory historically, geographically and under international law. It urged Tokyo to immediately abolish the ceremony and withdraw what it called groundless territorial claims.
The ministry also summoned a senior Japanese diplomat in Seoul to formally register its protest. Japanese authorities were yet to issue an official response at the time of filing this report.
The cluster of islets has long been a source of diplomatic tension between the two Asian neighbours. Although South Korea currently controls the islands relations between both countries remain strained due to historical disputes dating back to Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.
Seoul had earlier objected to remarks by Japan’s foreign minister during a parliamentary session in Tokyo where Japan reaffirmed its claim over the territory.
The islands are located in rich fishing waters and are believed to sit atop significant deposits of natural gas hydrate potentially worth billions of dollars. Analysts say the renewed dispute could further complicate efforts by both countries to strengthen regional cooperation.
