Korea-Japan Saury Negotiation Ended in Vain

The unofficial high-ranking official meeting between Korea and Japan failed to bear fruits on the saury fishing issue waters off the Southern Kuril Islands and Sanriku.

Besides the meeting with Japan, Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Yoo Sam-Nam set off on a three-day visit to Russia in order to obtain the cooperation from Russia yesterday.

According to the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (MOFAT) yesterday, MOFAT Assistant Minister Park Jae-Young and Japanese Fisheries Minister Watanabe Yoshiaki had an unofficial meeting at Tokyo, Japan, on 26th, only to end in vain.

A MOFAT official said, ``Due to the stubborn attitude of Japan, both sides only asserted their own positions in the meeting. But we will try to persuade continuously the Japanese side since there is still time until next July when the saury fishing will resume.``

Even in the Korea-Japan foreign and fisheries authorities talks prior to this meeting, both sides declared only an basic position that the saury issue should be resolved rationally according to the spirit of the agreement established in the Korea-Japan summit talks, and both sides would try to draw an solution through the high-ranking officials meeting.

And Director of MOFAT Fishery Resources Bureau Park Duk-Bae negotiated with Unno Hiroshi, Director of Resources Management Bureau of Japanes Fisheries Office, on the saury issue and fishing rights for next year. But this meeting also did not achieve any progress about the saury issue.

Meanwhile, Minister Yoo plans to request Russia`s cooperation on the saury conflict, meeting with Russia`s Vice Premier Viktor Khristenko and State Fisheries Committee chairman Yevgeny Nazdratenko during his visit to Russia.

iam@donga.com