South Korea conducted regular defense drills near the Dokdo islets earlier this week, a military source said on Wednesday. This marked the second such exercise under President Lee Jae Myung's government, aimed at fulfilling the mission of protecting territory, people, and property.
South Korea's military carried out regular defense drills in the East Sea near the Dokdo islets on Tuesday, December 23. A military source confirmed, "Our military has conducted East Sea defense drills on a regular basis each year. This exercise was also implemented to fulfill the mission of protecting our territory, people and property."
The latest drill was held on a similar scale to previous ones in terms of training methods and participating assets, though further details were not provided. Dokdo remains a longstanding point of tension between South Korea and Japan, with Tokyo continuing to assert sovereignty claims in policy documents, public statements, and school textbooks. Japan has lodged complaints through diplomatic channels following past drills.
South Korea has maintained effective control over Dokdo with a small police detachment since its liberation from Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule. The defense drills were first launched in 1986 and have been conducted twice a year since 2003. The previous exercise occurred in July, marking the first under the current government led by President Lee Jae Myung.
This routine exercise underscores South Korea's commitment to safeguarding its territory amid ongoing sensitivities in relations with Japan.
