ROK navy commander skips Japan over disputes
A senior navy official from the Republic of Korea called off a planned visit to Japan amid heated military disputes that observers say could further damage the already tenuous relationship.
Kim Myung-soo, commander of the ROK Navy's First Fleet canceled his planned trip in February because of "chills in bilateral ties", Yonhap News Agency reported on Sunday.
The ROK and Japan have been sending senior military officers to visit each other's country in alternate years under an exchange program.
"It is our turn to send our navy officer to Japan," a military official was quoted by Yonhap as saying on condition of anonymity. "But we have notified Japan of our decision not to send any this year."
The move came after reports on Saturday that the Japanese Defense Ministry is going to cancel a port call in the ROK this spring.
Kyodo News quoted an unidentified government source, saying that several ships including Izumo, the de-facto aircraft carrier of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force was formerly planned to take part in a joint exercise in the ROK port city of Busan.
"Blocking military exchanges is just the follow-up step after the 'radar lock-on' disputes," said Yu Qiang, a researcher of Japan studies at University of International Relations in Beijing, adding that it would "further damage the already tenuous relationship between Tokyo and Seoul".
The "radar lock-on" disputes began on Dec 20 when a Japanese plane, which Tokyo said, was collecting intelligence was locked on by a ROK destroyer's missile-targeting radar, a move taken before attacking an enemy.
The destroyer, which Seoul said was on a humanitarian mission, was "not intended to trace any Japanese-controlled aircraft" and Seoul accused the Japanese plane of flying dangerously low.
The spat quickly heated up and snowballed into a tit-for-tat crisis with Tokyo and Seoul's defense ministries releasing papers, statements and videos denouncing the other as not telling the truth.
"The Japanese-ROK relationship is a convenience marriage that is colored very much by historical issues like forced labor, comfort women and territorial disputes," Yu said,
"Given all the problems that have come up at the same time right now, it is not easy to find a solution and the tensions tend to go on," he added.
On Monday, in a New Year's speech in parliament, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said that Japan will stand firm and deliver its claim over "Japan's indigenous territory Takeshima with patience".
"Takeshima", which Seoul calls "Dokdo" and maintains effective control, is also claimed as "indigenous territory" by the ROK.
wangxu@chinadaily.com.cn
(China Daily 01/29/2019 page11)
