SEOUL, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- South Korea strongly protested against the Japanese government for its move to open an exhibition hall laying territorial claims over Dokdo islets, called Takeshima in Japan, Seoul's foreign ministry said Thursday.

The foreign ministry issued a statement, saying the South Korean government strongly protests against the Japanese government's opening of an exhibition hall in the heart of Tokyo on Jan. 25 to lay undue territorial claims over the country's easternmost islets.

The statement urged Japan to immediately close down the exhibition hall as the pair of Dokdo islets are an indigenous South Korean territory historically, geographically and according to international law.

It said Japan should realize the fact that its right perception of history is a base for relations between South Korea and Japan.