Japan may take a territorial row with South Korea to the International Court of Justice, Foreign Minister Koichiro Genba said Saturday, following President Lee Myung Bak's unprecedented visit to a group of disputed islets the day before.
Genba made the announcement after being briefed by Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Masatoshi Muto, who was temporarily recalled shortly after Lee's trip to the isles — called Takeshima by Tokyo and Dokdo by Seoul — in the Sea of Japan.
The government will also consider boosting its readiness to respond swiftly and firmly to territorial issues such as Lee's visit, Genba told reporters, adding he will consider "measures designed to peacefully resolve disputes on the basis of international law, including submitting an application (to consider the case) to the International Court of Justice" in The Hague.