Leaders of Korea’s indigenous religion, Chondogyo, in South and North Korea have issued a joint statement, denouncing Japan's territorial claims to South Korea's Dokdo islets.

The central headquarters of Chondogyo in Seoul and Pyongyang issued the statement on Wednesday to mark the 102nd anniversary of Japan's forced annexation of the Korean Peninsula.

The statement denounced Japan for intensifying its scheme to rob the Dokdo islets and reinvade the Korean Peninsula rather than apologize and compensate for its horrendous wartime atrocities.

The statement said Japan's scheme to make the Dokdo issue into an international dispute is an unforgivable act of aggression that violates Korea's territorial sovereignty.

The statement also pledged best efforts to defend Korea's sovereignty and dignity.