South Korean protesters shout slogans during a rally in front of the Japanese embassy in Seoul on September 5, 2008 against the Japanese government's description of disputed islands as its own territory in the defense white paper. A diplomatic row between South Korea and Japan flared up again after Tokyo renewed its claim to disputed islands in a new defence policy document. The islands midway between the two countries, called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, have for decades been a flashpoint in relations.