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| The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force minesweeper Tsushima (JS 302) |
By Ko Dong-hwan
Japanese news outlets confirmed Korea rejected Japan's offer of help with rescuing the missing passengers from the sunken ferry Sewol, Hankyoreh said Monday.
The report cited Yomiuri Shimbun, which quoted a Korean coast guard official as saying the current situation doesn't call for extraneous supports.
It also quoted Kyodo News on Saturday, which said families of the missing passengers from Sewol criticized government for rejecting Japan's help.
The report also quoted Japanese lawmaker Taizo Sugimura from the Liberal Democratic Party, who appeared on a television show on Sunday.
Taizo said it would be very sad if Korea's rejection of Japan's help derived from the currently sour relation between the two countries.
After the tragedy erupted Wednesday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe released a consolatory message the next day, along with a promise to provide all the supports his nation can provide.
Japanese Defense Minister Onodera Isunori clarified Abe's offer with a statement that Japanese self-defense forces will dispatch minesweepers for rescue mission on Korea's request.
Minesweepers, used to search and remove sea mines using sonar radar, is surely one of the most needed equipments Korea could hope for _ especially when the nation's rescue process proved exhaustively slow due to inefficient work process and tough sea currents.
Four minesweepers were separately stationed at different prefectures, including Nagasaki, Yamaguchi and Hiroshima, waiting for embarkation on mark.
