Seoul protests Japan's territorial claim over Korean island Dokdo

South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned a Japanese Embassy official on Thursday to formally protest Tokyo's assertion of sovereignty over Dokdo, a pair of rocky islets in the Sea of Japan that both nations dispute. The protest represents Seoul's continued diplomatic pushback against recurring Japanese territorial claims that South Korea considers baseless and inflammatory. This long-standing territorial dispute reflects deeper historical tensions between the two U.S. allies in East Asia, rooted in Japan's colonial occupation of Korea and post-war disagreements over maritime boundaries. The incident underscores ongoing friction that complicates regional stability and trilateral coordination with the United States.