Korea-Japan Patrol Plane Incident in East Sea: Latest Developments and Controversy

◀ Anchor ▶

There was an incident in the East Sea in 2018 when a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft flew low and threatened our warships.

At the time, Japan protested that our navy had aimed a shooting radar at a Japanese patrol aircraft, which was a hostile act, and we countered that there was no radar targeting, and that Japan, which flew a threat, should apologize.

There was a report in Japan that Korea would take a step back over the controversy over the patrol plane, but our defense minister said it was not true.

Correspondent Youngjun Hyun in Tokyo reports.

◀ Report ▶

In December 2018, a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft flew low and threatened the South Korean ship Gwanggaeto the Great while rescuing a distressed North Korean ship.

At this time, Japan strongly protested that the Korean Navy had aimed the shooting radar, and the Korean military had not aimed at the shooting radar, but rather argued that Japan should apologize for the threatening flight.

However, Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that the conflict between Korea and Japan had reached a compromise after four and a half years.

It is said that Korea has decided to withdraw the so-called “Patrol Plane Guidelines” issued in February 2019, right after the patrol plane incident.

The guideline for patrol planes is our military’s countermeasure guideline that says, “If the Japan Self-Defense Force does not respond to communications even after two warnings and flies close, aim the shooting radar.”

If the report is true, South Korea is effectively making a concession in the controversy over flying threats to patrol planes, which the military authorities of Korea and Japan have been sharply confronting for over four years.

The Nihon Keizai Shimbun reported that instead of South Korea withdrawing the patrol plane guidelines, Japan decided not to ask South Korea to admit the facts, and related discussions will be held at the Korea-Japan defense ministers’ meeting in Singapore the day after tomorrow.

Regarding this report, our defense minister said it was not true.

[배진교/정의당 의원 (국회 국방위)]

″I heard that there are reports in the Japanese media saying that the guidelines for responding to Korean military patrol aircraft will be withdrawn. From the standpoint of the Korean Ministry of National Defense, has there been any change in the position regarding the response to patrol aircraft?″

[이종섭/국방부 장관]

″The media reports are not true.″

In Japan, the rising sun flag controversy and patrol plane incident have been regarded as the biggest defense issues between Korea and Japan.

A while ago, a Japanese warship carrying the Rising Sun Flag entered Busan, and now all that remains is the patrol plane incident. It is noteworthy how our government will respond.

This is MBC News Hyun Young-joon from Tokyo.

Video coverage: Lee Jang-sang, Kim Jin-ho (Tokyo) / Video editing: Kim Chang-gyu