The South Korean government on Thursday summoned a top Japanese diplomat in Seoul to protest the annual “Takeshima Day” event in Japan that celebrated a claim to Korea's Dokdo islets.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Taisuke Mibae, the Deputy Chief of Mission at the Japanese embassy in Seoul, to protest the annual event hosted by the Shimane Prefecture, calling on Japan to abolish the event, which was also attended by a high-ranking Japanese central government official.

The ministry stressed that Dokdo is historically, geographically and under international law South Korean territory.

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul during his meeting with his Japanese counterpart Yoko Kamikawa on the sidelines of the foreign ministerial gathering of the Group of 20(G20) countries in Brazil, also protested against the event.

According to Kyodo News, Shimane Prefecture held a "Takeshima Day" event Thursday afternoon in Matsue, the prefectural capital, where the Japanese government invited Shojiro Hiranuma, the parliamentary vice minister of the Cabinet Office.