South Korean Military Conducts 'East Sea Territory Defense Exercise' Near Dokdo… Japanese Government Lodges Strong Protest
The South Korean military has conducted the 'East Sea Territory Defense Exercise' in the waters near Dokdo to protect our territory. This exercise is held regularly to solidify our territorial sovereignty over Dokdo and to defend our seas from external threats.
As news of our military's exercise spread, the Japanese government reacted immediately. The Japanese side lodged a strong protest against the exercise through diplomatic channels and repeated its existing unilateral claim that Dokdo is its territory.
In response, the South Korean government and military have made it clear that Dokdo is an inherent part of South Korean territory historically, geographically, and under international law. Therefore, they emphasized that the Dokdo defense exercise is a legitimate mission that must be carried out as a matter of course by a sovereign nation.
This exercise aims to assess the security situation around Dokdo and enhance the response capabilities of our military. Moving forward, our military plans to thoroughly monitor and defend the waters near Dokdo, based on our commitment to protecting our territory.