The foreign ministry has called on Japan to immediately withdraw the latest territorial claims in its foreign policy paper regarding South Korea’s easternmost islets, Dokdo in the East Sea.

In a statement from its spokesperson on Tuesday, Seoul’s foreign ministry strongly protested what it called Tokyo’s repeated unjust territorial claims over Dokdo, saying the islets are part of South Korea “historically, geographically and by international law.”

The protest came after the Japanese foreign ministry renewed the country’s claim to the South Korea-controlled islets in its Diplomatic Bluebook, as it did last year. 

Seoul’s foreign ministry pledged to respond sternly to any form of provocation from Tokyo concerning Dokdo.

The ministry also summoned Taisuke Mibae, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, to lodge a formal protest with Japan.