South Korea has on Tuesday, said it denied the allegation that one of its warships has locked its targeting radar at one of the Japanese patrol plane, which the issue has drawn a strong protest from Japan’s Tokyo as the relations between both the countries deteriorated.
According to news reports, Japanese defence minister last week, has said a South Korean warship had locked its targeting radar on a patrol plane of Japan, calling this action an extremely dangerous.
The fire-control radar (targeting radar) is used at a target to pinpoint the locations for launching its missiles or shells. Directing the fire-control radar at any target could be consider as one step behind from actual targeting and firing.
According to reports, both countries diplomats had a meeting in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, where this issue joined a list of issues that were discussed by diplomats.
The relations between the United States’ two allies have been soured since an apex of South Korea had in October rules out that it is must for Japanese steel firm to compensate four of the South Korean over their forced labour during the time of World War II. But, however, Japan had denounced the ruling.
South Korean defence ministry has last week, said the warships were performing a daily routine operations, and now has provided Japan with further more details on its vessel’s actions.
South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff official said the destroyer had used its optical camera, while rescuing a distressed fishing boat of North Korea, which had detected a low-flying patrol plane of Japan.
While denying that its destroyer had locked its targeted radar on a Japanese aircraft, the official said, “During the process, there was no emission of radio waves at all.”
However, the South Korean diplomats tried to explain the situation “in details” to their counterpart Japanese diplomats, and “the two sides agreed to continue to communicate as needed about this issue”, said South Korean foreign ministry official.