Ministry demands Japan's 'evidence' to refute its low-altitude flyby claim
A Japanese maritime patrol plane passes over the starboard side of a South Korean destroyer in international waters south of the Korean Peninsula on Wednesday, in this photo provided by the Ministry of National Defense. Yonhap
The Ministry of National Defense called on Japan, Friday, to offer clear evidence that its maritime patrol planes did not conduct threatening low-level flyovers of South Korean warships during the past week.
On Thursday, the ministry released five photos of an aircraft to substantiate its assertion that in the latest incident a Japanese P-3 patrol plane buzzed the 4,500-ton destroyer Daejoyeong at an altitude of 60 meters to 70 meters and at a distance of just 540 meters in international waters south of the peninsula the day before
According to Japan's Asahi Shimbun, a senior Tokyo official refused to acknowledge the photos, saying his government had "proper" evidence of its own to repudiate Seoul's claim.
"If Japan believes that the things we released cannot serve as proof to back up our position, it has to provide evidence to explain why it thinks so," a national defense official responded to reporters.
The incidents have further aggravated tensions amid a lingering dispute over a claim by Japan that a Navy destroyer locked on to one of its maritime patrol planes with a fire control radar.
The most recent flyby is the third this month. Japan's Self Defense Force aircraft flew too close to the 7,600-ton Yulgok YiYi destroyer last Friday and the 4,500-ton Nojeokbong landing ship, Tuesday.
Seoul called Wednesday's flyby a "clear provocation" and vowed to deal sternly with any repetitions.
Later in the day, Vice Foreign Minister Cho Hyun called in Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Yasumasa Nagamine to express “regret” over the provocative actions, a ministry official said asking for anonymity.
"They exchanged opinions over diplomatic relations between the two countries, including the Japanese patrol plane's flyby," he added without elaboration. (Yonhap)