S Korea summons Japan's defense attache in protest over island claims
South Korea's defense ministry summoned Japan's defense attache on Tuesday to protest over an annual white paper published by Tokyo, which made a territorial claim over disputed islands located in the East Sea.
Both sides claim longstanding territorial rights over the islands, which are known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, and lie roughly halfway between the two countries.
South Korea's Defense Ministry said in a statement its international affairs chief Lee Kwang-seok had summoned the Japanese defense attache to Korea in protest.
Lee demanded the immediate removal of Japan's territorial claims from the paper and added that the government will "sternly respond to any attempts to harm sovereignty over the Dokdo islands".
Tokyo has claimed the islands as its own territory in its annual defense white paper for decades, prompting protests from Seoul.
The islands are currently controlled by Seoul with a small contingent of coast guards.
© Thomson Reuters 2025.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Mainichi
22 minutes ago
- The Mainichi
Japan to fund visits by Japanese descendants in Philippines in August
MANILA (Kyodo) -- Second-generation descendants of Japanese nationals, who were left behind in the Philippines and have been stateless since World War II, will visit Japan next month, with the Japanese government paying for their trips, their support group said Thursday. The decision to shoulder the costs of the visits of Jose Takei, 82, and Leonora Uehara, 85, comes after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba earlier this year expressed his willingness to do so. Ishiba met Takei and two other second-generation Japanese descendants when he visited Manila in April. The average age of the surviving second-generation descendants is 83. Takei will travel to Osaka Prefecture in western Japan, to visit his relatives, whom the Philippine Nikkeijin Legal Support Center was able to trace, and visit his family's ancestral graves. Uehara, meanwhile, will visit Okinawa in southwestern Japan, to search for relatives, the center said. Nikkeijin refers to people of Japanese descent who reside outside their ancestral homeland. The visits are expected to also help in the legal process for Takei and Uehara to acquire the Japanese citizenship they lost in the turmoil following World War II. In a media interview immediately after meeting Ishiba, Takei said his Japanese father had worked in the national railways before the war and then became a soldier when fighting broke out. But his father returned to Japan before Takei was born in May 1943. The support center also hopes the Japanese government will provide the same financial assistance to descendants other than Takei and Uehara.
Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Japan Today
Japan temple's foreigner-only entrance fees spark debate, criticism
Photo taken at Nanzoin temple in Sasaguri, Fukuoka Prefecture, on June 27 shows a sign in English informing visitors they must pay an entry fee. A temple in southwestern Japan is drawing controversy and criticism for its recent decision to charge admission only to foreign tourists, at a time when issues related to people from abroad are gaining attention in the national election. Since May, Nanzoin in Fukuoka Prefecture, known for its 41-meter-long reclining Buddha statue, has been charging foreign visitors 300 yen to enter, saying the funds are needed to address nuisance behavior. An expert told Kyodo News that the move "lacks transparency," as debate over the pricing policy for foreign tourists -- whose numbers have reached a record high -- has intensified ahead of Sunday's House of Councillors election. A sign reading "Visitors" in English stands at the entrance to the area surrounding one of the world's largest statues of its kind, where foreigners line up to pay a fee at a reception window. Those with proof of long-term stays in Japan for work or study are exempt. As Japanese people are not charged, no explanation in Japanese appears on the sign. Staff or security guards confirm verbally, asking questions like "Are you from Japan?" before directing them to bypass the line without waiting. Kakujo Hayashi, the temple's head monk, said the number of foreign guests has surged since Japan lifted COVID-19 restrictions, bringing more littering, drinking and fireworks use on the grounds, as well as misuse of bathroom facilities. "We want someone to take responsibility for the extra costs" of cleaning and security, said Hayashi, 72, adding, "It is not discrimination." Differential pricing based on nationality is not without precedent abroad, with major attractions such as India's Taj Mahal charging foreign visitors more for admission to help cover maintenance costs while keeping access affordable for locals. © KYODO
Japan Today
3 hours ago
- Japan Today
Brazil's Lula says he won't take orders from 'gringo' Trump
FILE PHOTO: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks to the media at the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 7, 2025. REUTERS/Ricardo Moraes/File Photo Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday said that he would not take orders from a "gringo," responding to U.S. President Donald Trump's letter slapping Brazil with 50% tariffs. In a letter last week, Trump attributed the tariffs, set to start in August, to Brazil's treatment of former President Jair Bolsonaro and to alleged unfair trade practices by Brazil against U.S. companies. Lula and members of his cabinet have rejected the reasoning behind the tariffs and insisted on Brazil's sovereignty, while calling for trade negotiations with the United States. "No gringo is going to give orders to this president," Lula said, wearing a bright red shirt as he addressed a gathering of leftist student activists in the state of Goias. In Brazil, 'gringo' is a common term for foreigners, without the pejorative sense it carries in other parts of Latin America. He added that Brazil would go forward with regulation and taxation of U.S. tech firms, alleging that they promote violence and fake news under the argument of freedom of expression. Foreign Relations Minister Mauro Vieira told CNN Brasil separately on Thursday that Lula was open to talks with Trump, though they had not yet met. "If the circumstances are given, they will speak," he added. Brasilia has been holding discussions with industry groups and companies affected by the U.S. tariff, while also readying potential retaliatory measures if talks fall through. Lula, who is in his third non-consecutive term as president of Latin America's largest economy, saw his approval ratings start to rebound after the trade spat with Trump last week. The Brazilian leader is expected to make a televised address to the nation later on Thursday. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
