Korea-Japan island issue heats up

SEOUL, July 30 (UPI) -- South Korea Wednesday termed as "not even worth an official comment" Japan's criticism of its prime minister's visit to two disputed islets.

Tensions between the neighbors have escalated over the disputed Sea of Japan islets called Dokdo in South Korea and Takeshima in Japan.

To assert Seoul's sovereignty over the largely uninhabited islets and to protest Japan's recent claim on them, South Korean Prime Minister Han Seung-soo visited the area Tuesday. Japan called that trip inappropriate.

"Japan's remark is not even worth an official comment," Yonhap news agency quoted prime ministerial spokesman Kim Wang-ki as saying. "There cannot be a controversy over the prime minister visiting his country's territory."

South Korea, which controls the atolls, has been irate since Japan's Education Ministry this month showed them to be Japanese territory. On His visit, Han called Dokdo "the son of our country."

Japan has a similar long-running claim over four islands under Russian control. The islets, with numerous reefs, cover just 2.2 million square feet .

South Korea's main opposition Democratic Party said the government should take "relevant action" to Japan's provocation, Yonhap reported.