Japan Condemns South Korean Research Vessel Near Contested Islets

2025-08-17 03:53:50

(MENAFN) Japan has formally protested against a South Korean research ship operating near contested islets in the East Sea, also referred to as the Sea of Japan.

Masaaki Kanai, chief of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, engaged with South Korean diplomats on Friday following the sighting of the vessel, according to a Saturday statement released by Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

The ship, identified as ONNURI, was reported to have deployed an object "resembling a wire into the sea," the statement said.

“Takeshima is clearly an integral part of Japanese territory, in light of historical facts and under international law,” the Japanese ministry emphasized.

Seoul has yet to respond to the official statement from Japan’s Foreign Ministry.

The islets, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, remain under South Korean control but are fiercely claimed by Tokyo.

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