North Korea has for the first time blasted Japan's territorial claims to the Korean islets of Dokdo.

In an editorial on the North's online portal uriminzokkiri.com, the country denounced Tokyo's claim to Dokdo in a Japanese middle school textbook guide as political provocation.

The North said Japan officially stating Dokdo as Japanese land in middle school textbooks and teaching students this information from 2012 is a violation on Korean sovereignty.

Pyongyang had been silent on the Dokdo issue until now. Whether it will further convey its stance through major media outlets or organizations remains to be seen.