Tokyo, Seoul fail to resolve radar spat
The conflict between Seoul and Tokyo over what the latter claims was the “painting” of one of its aircraft as a target by South Korean radar is set to stretch on, after generals’ talks to address the issue ended up just confirming the differences between each side.
The two countries held a meeting on the issue in Singapore, Monday. Attending from South Korea was Vice Adm. Boo Suk-jong, the chief director of military support at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Lee Won-ik, director general of international policy at the defense ministry. Lt. Gen. Atsushi Hikita, the director of operations at Japan’s Joint Staff Office, and Takeshi Ishikawa, a senior defense ministry official, represented Japan.
The row began after Japan accused the Navy warship Gwanggaeto the Great of targeting one of its P-1 maritime patrol planes with a fire control radar Dec. 20. Seoul denied this, and claimed the patrol aircraft flew over the destroyer at a threateningly low altitude at a time it was conducting rescue operations for a North Korean ship that had drifted into international waters in the East Sea.
As the controversy grew, the two sides held a video conference Dec. 27 to resolve the matter. However, Tokyo released a video the following day claiming it was evidence that the patrol plane had been targeted. The operator of the aircraft is recorded stating that a radar was being directed at the plane. South Korea fired back by releasing its own vide in eight languages.
While radar frequency data from Japan would be able to serve as evidence, Tokyo did not present the data at the meeting. It has contended this is classified information. Meanwhile, Japan requested the entire data from Gwanggaeto the Great’s radar system, while offering the limited data it had collected.
“This is a request that is difficult for us to accept,” Defense ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo said in a briefing. “This is a highly discourteous request, and we see this as an obstinate claim that shows no willingness to resolve the issue.”
The two sides are expected to hold discussions on further meetings on the matter.
The spat was exacerbated further because Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was reported to have ordered Japan’s defense ministry to release its video. Reports said Abe made the order because he was angered by the ruling of South Korea’s top court on Japanese firms involved in using forced labor. The radar row is set to further strain bilateral relations.