South Korea says it is to recall its envoy to Japan in the latest flare-up of tensions over disputed islands, reported BBC.
The foreign ministry said Japan had reasserted its claim to the islands, which are under South Korean control in waters between the Asian neighbours.
The fresh claim to Japanese ownership of the islands - known as Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan - was reportedly made in a book for teachers.
The islands sit in rich fishing grounds which may also contain gas reserves.
The islands were subsumed under Japanese colonial rule along with the rest of Korea in the early 20th Century.
But there is a dispute as to whether they were covered by Japan's renunciation of sovereignty over its occupied territories following its defeat in World War II.
Both countries say they have the stronger historical claim to the islands.
On Monday, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak expressed "deep disappointment and regret" about Tokyo's fresh claim of sovereignty over the islands, reportedly made in a teacher's guide to middle-school textbooks.
President Lee has sought to cultivate better ties with Tokyo. In April he held the first full summit meeting between the two in three years.