According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on Nov. 17, multiple officials from the South Korean and Japanese governments revealed that the South Korean navy has notified the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force that the joint exercises originally scheduled for this month will be suspended.
The report stated that the main content of this South Korea-Japan joint exercise is maritime search and rescue. From 1999 to 2017, the exercise was held ten times. In 2018, a conflict occurred between a South Korean navy destroyer performing search and rescue missions in the East Sea and a Japanese Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol aircraft flying through the area, leading to the long-term suspension of this joint exercise.
According to previous plans by South Korea and Japan, the two sides intended to restart this joint exercise in November. However, due to recent renewed conflicts between South Korea and Japan over the issue of Dokdo (referred to as "Takeshima" by Japan), South Korea announced the continued suspension of the exercise restart plan.
Dokdo is located in the eastern sea of the Korean Peninsula, with an area of approximately 0.18 square kilometers. Both South Korea and Japan claim sovereignty over the island. Dokdo is currently under the actual control of South Korea. Recently, the Japanese government expanded the Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall that asserts its claim over Dokdo. On Nov. 14, the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Matsuo Hirotaka, the Minister at the Japanese Embassy in South Korea, to issue a solemn protest to Japan.
The report also pointed out that the Japanese Self-Defense Force, because the South Korean aerobatic team "Black Eagles" had flown over Dokdo, refused to provide refueling assistance as previously agreed earlier this month, causing strong dissatisfaction from the South Korean side.
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