South Korea has lodged a strong protest against Japan's territorial claims involving small islands called called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan. They lie halfway between the two countries.

South Korea's defense ministry summoned a defense attache from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to protest against Japan's 2016 defense white paper. The document describes the islands as Japan's territory. Japan's annual white paper has claimed sovereignty over the islands each year since 2005. South Korea says Japan must stop making such claims.