Tokyo responds to Seoul's video in radar lock-on incident dispute
- 5 years ago
Amid the ongoing dispute between Seoul and Tokyo over an incident on December 20th in which Japan claims a South Korean warship used targeting radar against a Japanese patrol plane, both sides have released videos, in an attempt to back up their assertions.
And now, Japan has released a statement in response to the video that South Korea unveiled on Friday.
Won Jung-hwan has the full story.
Japan has responded to the video that South Korea's Ministry of National Defense released on its official YouTube channel on Friday.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense on Friday evening said the video footage regarding the incident contains different claims from Tokyo's position,… asserting once again that the use of fire-control radar is a hazardous act.
While defense officials from the two sides will reportedly discuss the incident,… Japan's defense ministry does not think the South Korean video shows any new evidence contradicting its claims.
In the video, South Korea's navy asks Japan why,... in international waters, where another country's warship is engaged in the humanitarian rescue of a ship in distress,... would Japan send a patrol aircraft on a threatening low-altitude flight in the first place.
The video shows the Japanese plane flew within 500 meters of the South Korean destroyer, and at an altitude of just 150 meters.
The ship's crew said they heard a loud noise and felt strong vibrations due to the flight, which they said was menacing and threatening.
While Tokyo had claimed the plane followed internationally-agreed rules when it came to the flight's altitude,… Seoul stresses a military aircraft should not conduct such a low-altitude flight near a foreign warship because it could cause accidental clashes.
Also Seoul's defense ministry pointed out, based on Japan's own video, that the Japanese pilots knew the ship's guns were not pointed at them, and knew the South Korean ship had no intention of attacking.
While the defense ministry stressed its willingness to listen to any evidence of radar frequencies at working-level meetings,... it asked Japan to apologize for its aggressive low-altitude flight,... urging Tokyo not use the incident for political reasons.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.
And now, Japan has released a statement in response to the video that South Korea unveiled on Friday.
Won Jung-hwan has the full story.
Japan has responded to the video that South Korea's Ministry of National Defense released on its official YouTube channel on Friday.
The Japanese Ministry of Defense on Friday evening said the video footage regarding the incident contains different claims from Tokyo's position,… asserting once again that the use of fire-control radar is a hazardous act.
While defense officials from the two sides will reportedly discuss the incident,… Japan's defense ministry does not think the South Korean video shows any new evidence contradicting its claims.
In the video, South Korea's navy asks Japan why,... in international waters, where another country's warship is engaged in the humanitarian rescue of a ship in distress,... would Japan send a patrol aircraft on a threatening low-altitude flight in the first place.
The video shows the Japanese plane flew within 500 meters of the South Korean destroyer, and at an altitude of just 150 meters.
The ship's crew said they heard a loud noise and felt strong vibrations due to the flight, which they said was menacing and threatening.
While Tokyo had claimed the plane followed internationally-agreed rules when it came to the flight's altitude,… Seoul stresses a military aircraft should not conduct such a low-altitude flight near a foreign warship because it could cause accidental clashes.
Also Seoul's defense ministry pointed out, based on Japan's own video, that the Japanese pilots knew the ship's guns were not pointed at them, and knew the South Korean ship had no intention of attacking.
While the defense ministry stressed its willingness to listen to any evidence of radar frequencies at working-level meetings,... it asked Japan to apologize for its aggressive low-altitude flight,... urging Tokyo not use the incident for political reasons.
Won Jung-hwan, Arirang News.