• Live
    • Audio Only
  • google plus
  • facebook
  • twitter
News > South Korea

South Korea Exercises Military Drills Near the Dokdo Islands

  • South Korea's military performed annual drills near the Dokdo Islands. Jul. 29, 2022.

    South Korea's military performed annual drills near the Dokdo Islands. Jul. 29, 2022. | Photo: Twitter/@CyberRealms1

Published 29 July 2022
Opinion

According to media reports, the South Korean military has performed some drills nearby the disputed island with Japan.

In the middle of Japan's claims over the Dokdo islands, which are being disputed with South Korea, reports have indicated that Seoul's forces have carried out some military exercises in the vicinities of the territory.

RELATED:
Kim Jong-Un: North Korea Is Ready for a Conflict With the US

Earlier this month, Japan reaffirmed its intentions to the Dokdo islands in its annual defense policy paper release. South Korea, on its part, has denounced that Japan's attempts to claim ownership of the islands will not favor the construction of a “future-oriented” relationship between both countries.

“{The government} strongly protests against Japan’s repetition of its sovereignty claim over Dokdo, clearly an integral part of the Korean territory in terms of history, geography, and international law, and urges it to immediately scrap it,” said last week Choi Young-sam, South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Some sources have indicated that the drills conducted on Friday, are intended to ensure the country’s military willingness to face potential foreign incursions on the islands. “Dokdo is our territory, and these drills are part of regular ones that we conduct every year," said a South Korean official, who decided to remain anonymous.

Since 1986, Seoul has been carrying out military drills near the islands, increasing the frequency to twice yearly since 2003. Usually, the first is scheduled for June. This year the military practices have been delayed as the U.S., South Korea, and Japan aspire to assess their security ties amid rising tensions with North Korea.

Commonly known as Liancourt Rocks in the international community, the Dokdo Islands are located in the western part of the Sea of Japan, or East Sea, as referred to by some countries. Between 1910 and 1945 Japan officially run the islands, otherwise, after World War II the territories returned to the de facto administration of South Korea.

Comment
0
Comments
Post with no comments.