You're reading: South Korea protests Japan’s claim to islets

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea is protesting Japan's renewed claims to a cluster of tiny islets at the center of a long-running territorial dispute.

The wrangling may cool South Korea’s rare outpouring of sympathy toward its former colonial ruler in the wake of a devastating earthquake and tsunami.

Tokyo on Wednesday authorized middle school textbooks that Seoul says make unfounded claims on the islets.

South Korea immediately expressed "deep disappointment and regret" and urged Japan to change its stance on the islets.

The islets lie roughly halfway between the countries. They are effectively controlled by South Korea but are claimed by Japan.

Japan colonized the Korean peninsula from 1910-1945.