1. The Government of the Republic of Korea strongly protests against the Japanese government’s repeated inclusion of unjust sovereignty claims over Dokdo, which is clearly an integral part of the ROK territory in terms of history, geography and international law, in the “Defense of Japan 2022” released on July 22. The ROK government urges the Japanese government to immediately withdraw such claims.

o The Japanese government should be clearly aware that repeatedly making unjust claims over Dokdo is no way conducive to the efforts to establish a future-oriented relationship between the ROK and Japan.

2. The ROK government makes it clear once again that the Japanese government’s unjust claims do not and will not have any impact on the ROK’s sovereignty over Dokdo, an integral part of the ROK territory, and that it will respond firmly to any provocation over Dokdo.