South Korean ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul-hyun visited the Japanese government to protest Japan’s territorial claims to South Korea’s easternmost Dokdo islets. The Japanese government has authorized middle school textbooks that make such claims. Kwon said that South Korea must show a response in action, not in words.

Kwon talked with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto for approximately 15 minutes after arriving at the Japanese Foreign Ministry at ten past ten a.m. on Friday.

Kwon told reporters that he said in that discussion that the Dokdo islets are South Korean territory in terms of history, geography, and (international) law. He said he thus demanded Japan to withdraw its claim. However, Kwon said Matsumoto responded that if the South Korean government installs facilities on the Dokdo islets, bilateral relations would become chilly.

Kwon said that in spite of his warning and concern over how bilateral relations would deteriorate if Japan approves of such controversial claims, Japan has gone ahead with it. Kwon said that Japan had started this current rift.

Matsumoto had refused to meet Kwon since Wednesday, claiming to be busy. The Japanese government announced its approval of the middle school textbooks on Wednesday.