Apr 16 10:27 AM US/Eastern
(AP) - TOKYO, April 16 (Kyodo) — Tokyo lodged a protest with Seoul on Friday after a South Korean government-affiliated research institute announced it will conduct a geological survey in the area around disputed South Korean-controlled islets called Takeshima in Japan.
It is the first time that Tokyo has openly expressed to Seoul its tough stance on the issue related to the islets called Dokdo in South Korea. The survey is being seen as an attempt by South Korea to step up control of the two small uninhabited islets in the Sea of Japan.
But Tokyo has not decided whether to pursue a tougher stance, which some fear could affect bilateral coordination in dealing with the North Korean nuclear standoff.
The Korean Ocean Research and Development Institute has said that the survey, which could aid construction of facilities around the islets, will be conducted between April 15 and May 10. The survey is expected to involve drilling activities to analyze the firmness of the bedrock.
Following the announcement, Japanese State Secretary for Foreign Affairs Tetsuro Fukuyama told South Korean Ambassador to Japan Kwon Chul Hyun on Friday that the survey "is unacceptable" and that it should be suspended immediately, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said in a press release.
In relation to the Takeshima issue, South Korea protested against Japan at the senior-working level on April 6 because the Japanese Foreign Ministry claimed in its 2010 Diplomatic Bluebook that the islets are "obviously Japan's territory."
The protest lodged by Japan on Friday was at a higher level, reflecting Japan's intention to show its tough stance on the issue.
"This is a serious situation and cannot be overlooked," a Japanese government source said.
Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama continues to place importance on bilateral ties and is apparently hoping to prevent the situation from becoming more serious, according to sources close to him.
The two countries have long been at odds over the sovereignty of the islets.
The year 2010 is also seen as a historically sensitive year as it marks a century since Japan's annexation of the Korean Peninsula in 1910.