Japan, S. Korea defense chiefs divided over radar lock-on

June 1, 2019

Singapore--Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya and his South Korean counterpart, Jeong Kyeong-doo, on Saturday were divided over an incident in which a South Korean destroyer directed its fire-control radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force plane late last year.

During their 30-minute unofficial talks in Singapore, Iwaya urged the South Korean side to prevent any recurrence of a similar incident. Jeong reiterated Seoul's stance that no such radar lock-on took place.

This marked the first talks between the two ministers since the incident occurred.

Iwaya again disputed Seoul's insistence that the Japanese patrol plane conducted a threatening low-altitude flight, saying that the flight was appropriate and posed no problem.

"An important thing is not to repeat this kind of case from now on," Iwaya said of the radar lock-on to reporters after his talks with Jeong.

"There is no change in our view" despite the denial from the South Korean side, Iwaya said.

But he said he is willing to "take a step forward toward creating future-oriented ties between Japanese and South Korean defense authorities."

Saturday's talks confirmed the need for ministers from Japan and South Korea to exchange views to propel bilateral relations forward, Iwaya said. Jiji Press