Prime Minister Chung Un-chan said Friday that Japan’s continued territorial claims over the Korean Dokdo islets in the East Sea are detrimental to the development of relations between the two nations.

Chung ordered the response team that handles the Dokdo issue to take specific measures to solidify South Korea’s sovereignty over the islets.

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama remarked on Wednesday that the Japanese government has no intention of changing its stance that the islands belong to Japan.

The Japanese government approved in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday morning its Diplomatic Blue Book 2010 that says Dokdo is Japanese territory.

Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology also approved late last month five elementary social studies textbooks in which Dokdo is described as Japanese territory.