Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan to discuss radar dispute

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Kono Taro shake hands head of a meeting in New York on Sep. 26. Yonhap

By Kim Bo-eun

The foreign ministers of South Korea and Japan will meet this week amid strained ties to address issues including an escalating “targeting radar row.”

Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono will meet on the sidelines of the Davos Forum in Switzerland on Wednesday, the foreign ministry said.

The ministers are set to discuss the escalating dispute over what Japan claims was South Korea's use of a fire control radar to “paint” one of its patrol plane. The defense ministry has denied this, stating its warship was conducting a humanitarian rescue operation for a North Korean ship that was drifting in international waters in the East Sea.

The conflict is only growing, with each of the governments maintaining their stances. Japan's defense ministry said Monday it will cease talks with South Korea on the matter, “because they would not lead to determining the truth.” Seoul called for Tokyo to provide it with radar frequency data but the latter has refused, stating this is classified military information. Japan instead disclosed files of its radar warning receiver, Monday. Defense ministry spokeswoman Choi Hyun-soo “expressed regret” over Japan's statement that it would cease bilateral talks on the matter, based on limited data.

She said the files do not tell when the radar was used, and called for accurate evidence as well as to invite experts from both countries to verify this.

Meanwhile, Japan's defense ministry is considering releasing a statement on its position on the issue in 10 languages, the Sankei Shimbun reported the same day. Earlier, South Korea released a video that refuted Japan's claims, in eight languages. This was in response to Japan's release of a video recording from its patrol aircraft.

The ministers are also likely to address the issue surrounding the South Korea Supreme Court's ruling for Japanese companies to compensate Korean victims of forced labor under the 1910-1945 Japanese colonial rule.

It will be the first time the ministers meet after the Supreme Court ruled Oct. 30 last year against Nippon Steel and Sumitomo Metal (NSSM) ordering it to pay 100 million won to each of the four plaintiffs in the case.

Japan's stance has been that a bilateral deal reached in 1965 concluded compensation. For Tokyo, the court ruling has far-reaching implications as there are known to be 100,000 to 200,000 Korean victims of forced labor, including those of another case involving Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Supreme Court also ordered for the company to compensate plaintiffs in the case in December.

Meanwhile, NSSM's assets in South Korea worth 400 million won have been seized, as the company refused to follow the court order.

The Japanese government has requested “diplomatic discussions” to resolve the issue.

The foreign ministry has stated it is reviewing the matter.