TOKYO — Japan has lodged a protest with South Korea over activities by a South Korean maritime research vessel in waters near disputed islets in the Sea of Japan, saying the survey was conducted in Japan's exclusive economic zone without Tokyo's prior consent.
Masaaki Kanai, director-general of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Asian and Oceanian Affairs Bureau, made the protest on Friday to Lee Sang-yeol, deputy chief of mission at the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo, according to Japan's Foreign Ministry.
Japan said the South Korean vessel was observed dropping what appeared to be a wire into the sea while operating in Japan's claimed exclusive economic zone near the islets, known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea. Tokyo said the activity amounted to maritime research conducted without Japanese consent.
The islets are controlled by South Korea but claimed by Japan, making them a longstanding source of diplomatic friction between the two countries. Japan maintains that Takeshima is an inherent part of its territory under historical and international-law grounds, while South Korea regards Dokdo as its sovereign territory. Japan has repeatedly protested South Korean military exercises, landings and marine surveys in and around the islets.
The latest dispute comes shortly after South Korea conducted a defense exercise involving the islets. The South Korean navy said the exercise was intended to defend the territory, which Seoul administers.
South Korean authorities have not publicly accepted Japan's territorial claim. The two governments have continued to maintain their opposing positions over the islets, despite broader efforts in recent years to improve bilateral relations and cooperation on regional security.
Japan and South Korea are both U.S. allies and have sought closer security cooperation in response to threats from North Korea and wider regional tensions. The territorial dispute, however, periodically causes diplomatic friction, including over maritime research and military activities.
Japan's latest protest was directed through diplomatic channels, and Tokyo said it wanted the South Korean activity to be addressed. As of Aug. 9, there was no indication that either side had changed its longstanding position on sovereignty over the islets.
