Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she will make it clear to the international community that Dokdo is Japanese territory. She also plans to dispatch cabinet ministers to the "Takeshima Day" event.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan. The photo shows her delivering a policy speech at the National Diet in Tokyo on the 20th last month. /Courtesy of Reuters·Yonhap News

According to Kyodo News and others on the 12th, Takaichi told the House of Representatives Budget Committee that day regarding Dokdo, "We will make sure to inform the international community that it is Japanese territory," conveying the same message.

Takaichi also said, regarding the issue of sending cabinet ministers to the "Takeshima Day" event, "We want to create the environment to make it happen someday."

Earlier, Takaichi, who took office in October last year, also said during the ruling Liberal Democratic Party presidential election that ministers of a higher rank than the conventional vice-minister-level parliamentary secretary should be dispatched to the "Takeshima Day" event.

However, at this year's event held in Shimane Prefecture on the 22nd of last month, Naoki Furukawa, a Cabinet Office parliamentary secretary at the vice minister level, attended as customary. Furukawa, who attended the event at the time, repeated the baseless claim that Dokdo is "clearly Japan's inherent territory both in light of historical facts and under international law."

Japanese media analyzed that the Takaichi Cabinet's dispatch of a parliamentary secretary reflected the trend of improving Korea-Japan relations, while also projecting that, mindful of a backlash among conservatives in Japan, it may raise the issue of dispatching cabinet ministers in the future.

In particular, Takaichi's remarks come as shuttle diplomacy between Korea and Japan continues, drawing attention to future moves. President Lee Jae-myung held an informal meeting with Takaichi on the sidelines of the Group of 20 (G20) summit in Nov. last year and agreed to pursue future-oriented cooperation and stronger communication.

The presidential office said, "There is no territorial dispute over Dokdo," and added, "We will respond firmly and sternly to any unjust claims by Japan."

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