Rival political parties have joined forces on Dokdo Day, with both sides criticizing Japan’s repeated claims to the Dokdo islets in the East Sea and pledging a nonpartisan response.

In a statement on Saturday, which marks the annual commemorative day, ruling Democratic Party(DP) chief spokesperson Park Soo-hyun accused Tokyo of distorting history through its unjust territorial claims, stressing that the Dokdo islets are clearly South Korean territory in terms of history, geography and international law.

The DP spokesperson said there cannot be talk of future-oriented bilateral ties if Japan continues to make groundless claims and distorts history, adding that the matter should be jointly addressed by the rival parties.

In a statement, main opposition People Power Party(PPP) chief spokesperson Park Sung-hoon said Dokdo is a symbol of South Korea’s independence and sovereignty, and that defending the islets is a matter of national pride and a duty that all citizens must uphold.

The PPP spokesperson said Tokyo must stop making such baseless and unreasonable claims if it wants peace in Northeast Asia and future-oriented bilateral relations, adding that the opposition will spare no effort in providing bipartisan support to protect Dokdo.