Japanese patrol boats are said to have sailed close to South Korea’s Dokdo islets 71 times since the beginning of the year.

Data from the Joint Chiefs of Staff submitted to Rep. Chung Hee-soo showed that Japanese patrol boats came close to waters around the Dokdo islets 440 times over the past five years. In particular, they appeared 95 times in 2010 and 93 times in 2011.

Military officials say that Japanese patrol boats did not cross into South Korean waters, but did come close to the “contiguous zone” near the islets.

South Korea has the right to inspect and take other preventative measures in the waters that the Japanese boats trespassed.

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin told a parliamentary meeting on Friday that the ministry will clearly express its determination to protect Dokdo in the “white paper” to be released this year.