Tensions Rise as Survey Ships Depart

Tensions are escalating between Korea and Japan after the Japanese Coast Guard launched two maritime survey ships toward the East Sea on the afternoon of April 19. The hydrographical survey ships had been anchored at Sakaiminato Port in Tottori Prefecture, Japan.

The Korean government held a meeting presided by President Roh Moo-hyun with the presence of related ministers yesterday and announced that it will take a firm stand against the Japanese provocative move in violation of Korea’s national sovereignty.

Cheong Wa Dae spokesperson Kim Man-soo said that the government decided to be fully prepared to respond to any situation if Japan goes ahead with the exploration in the Korean side of the Exclusive Economic Zone.

Kim also said, “We reconfirmed that only with Japan’s immediate withdrawal from the maritime survey plan can the current bilateral conflict be diplomatically resolved.”

According to Kyodo News, the two Japanese ships left Tokyo Port on Tuesday night, arrived at Sakaiminato Port, the nearest Japanese port to the Dokdo islets, on Wednesday morning, and left at 3:30 p.m. and 5:15 p.m., respectively.

The survey ships are likely to explore waters 30 kilometers northeast of Dokdo for five days beginning today, but it is not clear that they are actually conducting surveys around the islets, said Kyodo News.

The government is set to take action such as pushing away or seizing the boats if they violate Korea’s EEZ under the Korea Coast Guard’s code of conduct.

The Korean Coast Guard has been put on an emergency footing. It has deployed 18 patrol ships, including 5,000 ton cutters, and has a patrol aircraft on alert status at an air station in Gangneung.

All Coast Guard patrol ships weighing over 3,000 tons carry helicopters, and all ships have surface gunnery capability.

Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon warned that Korea will firmly respond to Japan’s unilateral move in accordance with international and national laws, and that Japan is wholly responsible for any possible problem.

Meanwhile, the Korean National Assembly in a plenary session unanimously passed a resolution urging Japan to stop provoking Korea in the East Sea and whitewashing its past wartime atrocities in its history textbooks.