Japan on Tuesday held an annual ceremony to press its claim over a group of islets controlled by South Korea but also appealed for a solution, amid protracted disputes between the two countries over wartime history and territory.
The ceremony in Matsue has been held every Feb. 22 since 2006 after the Shimane prefectural government designated the day as "Takeshima Day" in 2005, a century after a Cabinet decision was issued placing the islets in the Sea of Japan under the western prefecture's jurisdiction.
Hiroo Kotera, a Cabinet Office parliamentary vice minister representing the central government at the annual event, stressed that the islands are "an inherent territory of (Japan) in light of historical facts and international law."
"We will take a firm attitude to convey our country's position to the South Korean side and continue to deal with the situation tenaciously," Kotera said.
South Korea has stationed security personnel on the islets, which it refers to as Dokdo, since 1954 and taken effective control of them.
This year's ceremony, which was once again scaled down to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, saw 85 attendees, much less than around 500 in previous years.
The central government has dispatched a representative of Kotera's rank each year since 2013, but it has refrained from sending any Cabinet ministers apparently to avoid provoking South Korea.
South Korea's Foreign Ministry later Tuesday summoned Naoki Kumagai, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, to lodge a protest over Japan's annual ceremony.
Ministry spokesman Choi Young Sam said in a statement that the South Korean government "strongly protests against Japan's repetition of vain provocations over Dokdo and urges it to immediately abolish such an event."
Choi added that the Japanese government should stop making unjust claims and face history in a humble manner as the islets are part of South Korean territory historically and geographically according to international law.
The territorial row drew fresh attention last November after the chief of the South Korean police visited the islets in the first such landing by a serving police chief in about 12 years.
Shimane Gov. Tatsuya Maruyama at the ceremony criticized the move, saying it was "extremely regrettable" amid Japan's efforts to seek a peaceful resolution to the dispute.
In August last year, the Japanese government also lodged a protest with the South Korean government when it began livestreaming from the islets.
The islets cover a total land area of 0.2 square kilometer and lie northwest of Shimane Prefecture's coast. They consist of volcanic rock with little vegetation or drinking water but are located in rich fishing grounds.
