S. Korea Conducts Defense Drill for Japanese-Claimed Isles

Seoul, Dec. 25 (Jiji Press)–The South Korean navy has conducted a defense drill for the Sea of Japan islands claimed by Tokyo. The drill took place Tuesday, according to South Korean media. The navy carries out a defense drill for the islands, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, twice a year. This year’s first drill was conducted in July. The islands are under the effective control of South Korea. Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry’s Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, lodged a strong protest over the latest drill with Kim Jang-hyun, deputy chief of mission at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo, according to the ministry. Hirotaka Matsuo, deputy chief of mission at the Japanese Embassy in Seoul, did the same with Kim Sang-hoon, director-general for Asian and Pacific affairs at South Korea’s Foreign Ministry. The South Korean military stopped short of disclosing details, saying only that the training methods and participating forces were on par with those in past drills. According to media reports, the July drill was participated by the navy and the South Korean coast guard, and did not involve landing on the islands. The South Korean military said that it conducted the latest drill to carry out its mission of protecting the country’s territory, citizens and properties. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]