Asia-Pacific

Japan, S. Korea to conduct joint survey in disputed waters

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2006-09-17 10:56

TOKYO, Sept. 16 -- Japan and South Korea will conduct a joint radioactivity survey in waters near a set of disputed islets on Oct. 7-14, Japan's foreign ministry said Saturday.

According to a ministry statement, the two nations agreed on the schedule at two-day talks through Saturday in Tokyo.

The survey, which is designed to examine the effects of contamination from radioactive waste materials dumped by the former Soviet Union, will cover six locations in the Sea of Japan including disputed waters around the set of islets, known in South Korea as Dokdo, and Takeshima in Japan.

Each country will dispatch a vessel for the survey, and three researchers from each country will be aboard the other country's ship. The two countries will exchange data and samples of seawater collected.

Tokyo and Seoul have been long at odds over the territorial rights involving the disputed islets. In April, Japan announced the intention to survey the ocean bed around them, leading South Korea to threaten to block its neighbor by force.

The two countries compromised eventually, with Seoul dropping a proposal to submit Korean names for the area to an international oceanographic meeting and Tokyo calling off the maritime survey.

Earlier this month, the two countries held a two-day dialogue in Seoul, during which they discussed Japan's plan to conduct such a survey.