Seoul dismissed Tokyo's official objections over the operation of a South Korean research vessel in the area around the disputed Liancourt Rocks in the Sea of Japan, Foreign Ministry spokesman Cho June-hyuck said Thursday.

Axar.az reports citing Sputnik news.

Media reported earlier in the day, citing the Japanese Foreign Ministry, that Tokyo had lodged their second formal complaint in two days over the entrance of a South Korean ship in waters near the Liancourt Rocks without prior consent by Japan.

"Our stance is that we will sternly respond to Japan's unjust claims to our inherent territory. There is no need for us to ask for prior admission [of the vessel to the sea], and we don't have to do such a thing," Cho told reporters as quoted by Yonhap news agency.

The Liancourt Rocks, known as Dokdo in Korean and Takeshima in Japanese, have been administered by South Korea since 1954. Japan, however, has been disputing Seoul’s sovereignty over the territory due to historical reasons.