Korea-Japan Deputy Defense Ministers Meet After 6 Years... "Patrol Aircraft Radar Controversy to Be Re-discussed Later"

Shin Beom-cheol, Deputy Minister of National Defense, and Oka Masami, Japanese Defense Counselor, Attend Security Dialogue

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The defense vice ministers of South Korea and Japan held a private bilateral meeting to discuss the patrol aircraft radar investigation and the invitation to the fleet review. This face-to-face meeting between the defense vice ministers of South Korea and Japan is the first in six years since September 2016.

On the 7th, Vice Minister of Defense Shin Beom-cheol held talks with Okamasa Mi (岡眞臣), Japan’s Defense Counselor (vice minister level), at the Lotte Hotel Seoul in Sogong-dong, Seoul, coinciding with attendance at the 'Bodae-hwa'. After the meeting, Vice Minister Shin said, "The meeting was held based on mutual agreement on the need to normalize South Korea-Japan defense cooperation," adding, "Both sides exchanged views on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and especially agreed on the importance of trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the U.S., and Japan to deter and respond to North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats, and decided to continue related cooperation."

The meeting, hosted by the Ministry of National Defense as part of the '2022 Seoul Security Dialogue,' addressed military issues between the two countries, including the so-called 'patrol aircraft radar investigation' controversy. Vice Minister Shin stated, "This was discussed today," and added, "Both sides agreed on the need to resolve the issue for cooperation and development between the two defense ministries regarding the patrol aircraft incident, and decided to further discuss this matter at the working level."

Regarding Japan’s invitation to the fleet review, he said, "Japan made a general remark expressing hope for the participation of our navy, and we conveyed that we are currently reviewing this internally."

He added that there was no discussion about the normalization of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

After the meeting, Counselor Oka left the venue before Vice Minister Shin and did not make any remarks to the press. The patrol aircraft controversy dates back to December 20, 2018, when the South Korean Navy’s Gwanggaeto the Great warship, searching for a North Korean fishing boat that had been shipwrecked in the East Sea, was accused by Japan of directing a fire-control radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force P1 patrol aircraft flying near the ship. The South Korean military denied ever directing fire-control radar at the Japanese patrol aircraft and countered that the Japanese patrol aircraft conducted threatening flights.

Regarding the Japanese fleet review, controversy continues because the flag of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force, which organizes the event, is the Rising Sun Flag, considered a symbol of Japanese militarism in South Korea.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.