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Friday, January 04, 2019, 15:33
Top diplomats of ROK, Japan hold phone talks amid radar spat
By Xinhua
Friday, January 04, 2019, 15:33 By Xinhua

In this image made from video released Dec 28, 2018, by the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force, a ROK naval warship is seen as it allegedly locks its fire-control radar on a Japanese warplane, Dec 21, 2018, in the disputed waters north of Japan. (JAPAN MARITIME SELF-DEFENCE FORCE VIA AP)

SEOUL – Top diplomats of The Republic of Korea (ROK) and Japan on Friday held talks via telephone amid the military radar wrangle between the two countries, according to the ROK's foreign ministry.

ROK Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono had phone conversations Friday afternoon, exchanging opinions on the ROK top court's ruling on forced labor during World War II and the radar row involving a ROK battleship and a Japanese patrol plane.

Kang and Kono shared a view that the two sides need to narrow difference over the radar spat through working-level consultations of the military authorities

Kang and Kono shared a view that the two sides need to narrow difference over the radar spat through working-level consultations of the military authorities.

The Seoul defense ministry released its video clip Friday to rebut Japan's claim that a ROK destroyer locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol aircraft on Dec 20. It was in response to the Japanese defense ministry's release on Dec 28 of its video footage.

Japan claimed that the ROK warship directed its fire-control radar at the Japanese warplane, flatly denied by the ROK.

During the phone talks, Kang explained about her country's stance on the top court's ruling, while Kono explained about his country's position, indicating a remaining difference on the historical issue.

The ROK Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that two Japanese companies should compensate the ROK victims who were forced into labor without pay during the Pacific War. The Korean Peninsula was colonized by the Imperial Japan from 1910 to 1945.

Japan has claimed that the colonial-era issue was resolved through the 1965 government-to-government deal that normalized relations between Seoul and Tokyo. It was in contrast to the Seoul top court's ruling that acknowledged the individuals' right to claim damages.

Kang and Kono agreed during the talks to make continued efforts for the development of future-oriented relations between Seoul and Tokyo by closely communicating with each other.

ALSO READ: Japan lodges protest with South Korea over alleged radar lock-on

The 4-minute-26-second video footage, released by the Seoul defense ministry on Friday, was uploaded to YouTube at 2:00 pm local time.

The Republic of Korea urged Japan to present any evidence of radar frequency data to verify whether the ROK warship emitted any tracking radar signal targeting the Japanese patrol plane

The Korean version was first posted, and other language versions, including the English one, would be offered after translation, according to a statement from the ministry.

The radar spat came as Japan claimed that the 3,200-ton Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer of the ROK directed its fire-control tracking radar at Japan's P-1 patrol plane multiple times on Dec 20.

On Dec 28, Japan's defense ministry unveiled a 13-minute video clip to support its claim that showed the Japanese patrol plane flew at a low altitude and close to the ROK destroyer.

In its own video clip, the ROK ministry said the Japanese plane flew low toward the ROK battleship, which was on a humanitarian mission to rescue a fishing boat of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) drifting in international waters of the East Sea.

READ MORE: Japan shows video of alleged radar lock-on by ROK warship

It noted that the armed Japanese warplane flew at an altitude of as low as 150 meters and as close as 500 meters away from the ROK destroyer, in which crew members felt a loud noise and heavy vibrations.

The Seoul ministry called on Japan to apologize for its patrol plane making a "threatening," low-altitude flight near the ROK military vessel that was conducting a humanitarian rescue operation.

The Seoul ministry called on Japan to apologize for its patrol plane making a "threatening," low-altitude flight near the ROK military vessel

Meanwhile, the ROK ministry raised a question why the Japanese warplane did not conduct any emergency maneuvers if it detected the radar lock-on.

Even after finding the radar tracking, which Japan claimed, the Japanese patrol plane returned low toward the ROK destroyer, showing no sense of urgency, the video clip from the Japanese side showed.

The radar lock-on itself does no damage to a target, but it can be seen threatening as it is a step away from firing a missile against the target.

The Seoul ministry urged Japan to present any evidence of radar frequency data to verify whether the ROK warship emitted any radar tracking signal toward the Japanese military plane.

Japan has denied the request, saying it is a sensitive information on its operational capabilities.

The ROK and Japan signed an agreement in Nov 2016 to share military information on the DPRK's nuclear and missile capabilities.

The ROK ministry urged Japan not to use the issue politically, but to verify the truth through working-level consultations. 


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