The United States has expressed hope that South Korea and Japan work peacefully and diplomatically to achieve a solution over recent issues surrounding the Dokdo islets.

State Department Deputy Spokesman Mark Toner told reporters on Tuesday that the issue has so far been handled with restraint, and the U.S. hopes such restraint would continue to be exercised.

Toner said the U.S. is aware that the two Asian neighbors have long been in a dispute over the territory, but Washington does not take a stance on the sovereignty over the islets.