South Korea protests Japan's island claim in national security strategy

FILE PHOTO: A police officer stands guard near Japan and South Korea national flags at hotel, where South Korean embassy in Japan is holding the reception to mark the 50th anniversary of normalisation of ties between Seoul and Tokyo, in Tokyo June 22, 2015. East Asian neighbours South Korea and Japan marked the 50th anniversary of diplomatic ties on Monday with a push to mend relations strained for years by a territorial dispute and a feud over Japan's wartime past. REUTERS/Toru Hanai

South Korea issued a strong protest against Japan's territorial claim over disputed islands made in a national security strategy released on Friday while cautiously responding to Tokyo's plans for an unprecedented military buildup.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol who took office in May has tried to improve ties with Tokyo which have been marred by the territorial row over the islands and historic disputes stemming from Japan's 1910-1945 occupation of Korea.