1. The government of Japan once again included its groundless claim over Dokdo in the “Defense of Japan 2015,” its annual defense white paper, issued today. This is an act that denies the past history of imperial Japan’s forcible colonization of the Korean Peninsula, as well as a move tantamount to admitting to the international community that the Japanese government still does not have a correct perception of history even 70 years after the end of World War II.

2. The government of the Republic of Korea points out that the Japanese government’s such provocation undermines the ROK’s efforts to open a new chapter in the ROK-Japan relations, while Japan faces up to its history, with this year marking the 50th anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

3. The ROK government will continue to sternly respond to any provocations by Japan over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of the ROK’s territory in terms of history, geography and international law.


*unofficial translation