A Japanese cabinet minister has reiterated his country’s claim to Liancourt Rocks, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, after Seoul protested against a new museum wing promoting Tokyo’s sovereignty over the islets.
“Under international law, Takeshima is clearly an inherent part of Japan’s territory,” Japan’s Minister in Charge of Territorial Issues Jiro Akama said at a press conference on Tuesday, according to Kyodo news agency.
“We will work to strengthen the dissemination of messages at home and abroad with the exhibition hall as a base,” added Akama, who is also chairman of the National Public Safety Commission.
The islets have been a constant source of friction between Japan and South Korea since the end of World War II. Japan annexed the islands from Korea in 1905 and went on to colonise all of the peninsula in 1910.
After the war, South Korea regained de facto control of the islets, which the Japanese call an “illegal occupation”, according to a booklet by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Politicians of both countries have brought up the issue sporadically.
