The South Korean government strongly protested a recent gathering by Japanese senior government officials and lawmakers in Tokyo who claimed the Dokdo islets are Japanese territory.

On Wednesday, about 800 right-wing Japanese officials held the event in Tokyo for the first time, calling on the Japanese government to resolve the issue of “Takeshima,” the Japanese name for Dokdo.

Dokdo remains a thorny issue between Korea and Japan. Located in the East Sea, the small islets are administered by Korea, which has its Coast Guard stationed there.

“Our government expresses deep regret over the Tokyo gathering held on April 11, which Japanese senior government officials and many Japanese lawmakers attended,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cho Byung-jae said.

“Dokdo is part of South Korea’s territory and our government has complete administration over it. No matter how Japan claims, it cannot change this clear fact and it would only add an unnecessary burden to the relationship between the two countries.”

If Japan keeps distorting history, it will not be able to play a responsible role in the international community, he added.

In late March, the Japanese government approved three new high school textbooks that claim Dokdo as Japanese territory, sparking protests from the Korean government.

The textbooks are scheduled to be used in Japanese high schools from March next year.

By Kim Yoon-mi (yoonmi@heraldcorp.com)