Seoul protests Tokyo’s new security strategy, claim to Dokdo

The Foreign Ministry summoned a counselor from the Korean Embassy in Japan to protest a National Security Strategy (NSS) released Friday that claimed sovereignty over the Dokdo Islands.

In a statement, the Foreign Ministry demanded that Japan withdraw its sovereignty claim over the islands, which Korea claims and controls.

The ministry warned that repeating such claims will not help build a future-oriented relationship between the two countries.

The cabinet of Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Friday approved a revised NSS, guidelines for Japan’s national securities policies, and a National Defense Strategy.

According to NHK, one of the major changes was a new policy about Japan launching a counterstrike if provoked, as well as adding Russia as a potential threat to North Korea and China.

On the counterstrike policy, the Korean government said if Japan plans to do such a thing, it needs to closely discuss and get the consensus of Korea as such an action would affect the Korean Peninsula as well as the interests of the Korean people.

BY ESTHER CHUNG, LEE HO-JEONG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]