Pyongyang, August 20 (KCNA) -- Tok Islets have remained part of the Korean territory from ancient times.

From the historical point of view, the Japanese and their governments had considered the islets as part of the Korean territory.

During the Imjin Patriotic War (1592-1598), a Japanese commander had a Korean map marking Usan Islets (Tok Islets) and Ullung Island. In 1785 a Japanese geographer, Hayashi, drew a Korean map including Tok Islets.

On September 5, 1660 a Japanese fisherman, surnamed Otani, in a letter to his colleague Murakawa, described Tok Islets as belonging to Ullung Island.

Korea's dominium over Tok Islets was also acknowledged by a Shogunate decision in January 1696 and an order of the top government body in March 1877.

After the "1868 Meiji Restoration" the Japanese government had continued recognizing Korea's dominium over Tok Islets.

At that time the army and navy ministries also recognized it.

The Korean East Sea Chart drawn by the Navy Ministry in 1876 marks Tok Islets as Korea's and the Korean map published by the Army Ministry in 1875 shows Ullung Island and Tok Islets as Korean territory.

All the facts go to prove that successive Japanese governments officially acknowledged Korea's dominium over Tok Islets and that Japan was the first state to recognize it in the world.