South Korea's National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik has recently voiced concerns over Japan's words and actions regarding historical and territorial issues between the two countries, urging Japan to demonstrate sincere reflection and a responsible attitude. Meanwhile, Japanese media reported on Nov. 17 that the joint search and rescue training originally planned by South Korea and Japan for this month has been suspended again.
In a social media post on Saturday, Woo stated that Japan's recent accelerated push for constitutional revision would transform the country into a "nation capable of waging war," which is deeply worrying. He emphasized that such actions shake the foundation of peace and order in East Asia and are absolutely unacceptable to both South Korea and other neighboring countries. He stressed that "without genuine efforts to resolve historical issues, all cooperation would be nothing but a 'castle in the air.'"
Woo also addressed the Japanese Prime Minister's recent public remarks claiming that Dokdo (known as "Takeshima" in Japan) is historically and under international law Japanese territory. He expressed strong regret over the Japanese government's recent expansion of the "Territorial Sovereignty Exhibition Hall," which asserts Japan's claims over Dokdo, calling it an attempt to instill incorrect perceptions in the next generation, including students. He urged Japan to close the exhibition immediately.
Dokdo, located in the eastern sea of the Korean Peninsula with an area of approximately 0.18 square kilometers, is claimed by South Korea, North Korea, and Japan. The islets are currently under the effective control of South Korea.
Joint South Korea-Japan Search and Rescue Training Suspended
Citing multiple government sources from both countries, Japan's Kyodo News and Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday that the joint search and rescue training originally scheduled for this month between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the South Korean navy is likely to be postponed, with both sides coordinating the arrangements.
The reports indicated that the recent exposure of South Korean air force aircraft conducting flight training near Dokdo (referred to as "Takeshima" by Japan) led Japan to suspend refueling assistance for South Korean air force aircraft at Japanese Air Self-Defense Force bases. This move is considered to have had a direct impact on the joint training.
The planned joint training primarily focused on maritime search and rescue operations. Similar exercises were conducted ten times between 1999 and 2017. In 2018, an incident occurred where a South Korean navy destroyer, during a search and rescue mission, was accused by Japan of repeatedly directing its fire-control radar at a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol aircraft. This incident led to the long-term suspension of such joint training. Although both sides had planned to resume the exercises, the plans now face uncertainty once again.
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