S. Korea starts 2-day drills on defense of Dokdo islets disputed by Japan

South Korea has begun two-day military drills aimed at the defense of the disputed group of Liancourt Rocks islets, called Dokdo by South Korea and Takeshima by Japan, the Navy Headquarters in Seoul said. The navy will conduct the regular Dokdo defense exercise aimed “at preventing the infiltration of external forces into the South Korean territory, in conjunction with a flotilla-level field exercise” by the Navy’s First Fleet based in the East Sea,Yonhap reports, citing the military. The exercise is carried out twice a year and involves the South Korean Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, Air Force and police. Pyongyang also claims the islands, saying that they have been “the sacred territory of North Korea since ancient times,” Sputnik said.