"The government strongly protests against the fact that the Japanese government set up a territorial sovereignty pavilion in Tokyo on January 25 (Thursday) in order to make an unfair claim over Dokdo, our territory, and strongly demands an immediate closure," the statement read.
The ministry urged Tokyo to end its claims to the islets, as it considered them to be South Korean territory "from the point of view of history, geography and international law," according to the statement.
READ MORE: Seoul Voices Protest Over Tokyo's Statement on Disputed Dokdo Islands
According to Japanese media, citing officials, the permanent exhibition will showcase materials proving that the disputed Dokdo islands, as well as the Senkaku islands, are integral parts of Japan.
On Monday, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said during a parliamentary address that the disputed island group in the Sea of Japan, called Dokdo by the Koreans and Takeshima by the Japanese, were part of the territory of Japan. South Korea has expressed regret over Tokyo's claims.
The islands, which have also been known as the Liancourt rocks, have been administered by South Korea since 1954. Japan has been disputing Seoul’s sovereignty over the territory, with both sides stating that they have long-standing historical ties to the island group.
