ROK Asserts Sovereignty Over Dokdo in Response to Japan PM Claims Over the Islands

Japan’s new Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi reopened one of Northeast Asia’s most sensitive territorial disputes this week after formally asserting that Dokdo, or Takeshima in Japan, is Japanese territory in her opening policy address. The statement mirrored the long-standing position of Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which maintains the claim on its official “Takeshima” page. But the timing and political tone carried particular weight as President Lee Jae Myung has made stabilizing relations with Japan a pillar of his early foreign policy, and this symbolic move risks disrupting that trajectory.

South Korea’s reaction was swift. The ROK presidential office quickly reaffirmed that “Dokdo is indisputably Korean territory by history, geography, and international law.” This marks the strongest response toward Japan since President Lee took office. The incident highlights a recurring dilemma for South Korea in balancing symbolic nationalism with strategic necessity. President Lee has emphasized trilateral cooperation with Japan and the United States, aligned with the principles reaffirmed at the Camp David summit. This cooperation is increasingly vital for managing supply-chain resilience, emerging technology governance, and North Korea’s advancing nuclear posture. But public sentiment around Dokdo is deeply rooted in historical memory, identity, and perceptions of Japan’s approach to its imperial past. No Korean administration can afford to appear conciliatory on this issue.

Regionally, this flare-up comes at a time when China and North Korea are both incentivized to exploit fissures in Japan-Korea relations. Historical disputes can interrupt periods of cooperation, weakening the trilateral deterrence architecture that Washington has prioritized. Maintaining diplomatic composure while protecting territorial claims will be one of President Lee’s central foreign-policy challenges.

Ultimately, the incident illustrates how easily historic grievances can destabilize contemporary strategic agendas. Dokdo is not merely a sovereignty issue but a symbolic fulcrum of national identity for both Koreans and Japanese. While Prime Minister Takaichi may have intended to assert political continuity more than provoke Seoul, the result has nonetheless tested the early contours of President Lee’s Japan policy. How both governments handle this episode will shape not only bilateral ties but also the credibility of emerging trilateral frameworks in an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific.

This article was written for The Sejong Society of Washington, D.C. and published on December 11, 2025, in the Sejong Society’s newsletter, Sejong Digest 2.0. You can subscribe to the newsletter here: https://thesejongsociety.org/