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| Video footage that South Korea's Ministry of National Defense uploaded on YouTube to counter Japan's repeated claim that a South Korean destroyer locked a fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol plane last month. / Screen capture from YouTube |
By Lee Min-hyung
The Ministry of National Defense has urged Japan to stop engaging in inappropriate media warfare by distorting facts over the ongoing "radar feud," the ministry said in a statement Saturday.
The demand came in response to Japan's release of an audio recording that the country claims proves that South Korean destroyer Gwanggaeto the Great locked its fire-control radar on Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force's P-1 patrol plane last month.
"It is inappropriate for the Japanese government to make such a unilateral claim with inaccurate information with a view to intensifying bilateral diplomatic conflict," the ministry said in a text message to reporters.
The ministry said that before releasing the recording, Japan should have proven it was made at the exact time the South Korean destroyer reportedly targeted the Japanese surveillance plane.
"Japan should unveil accurate information on not just the audio, but also its recorded time and frequency data, as lack of such detailed information may give misconceptions internationally," the ministry said.
The radar dispute erupted on Dec. 20 in the East Sea where the South Korean vessel was on a humanitarian mission to rescue a North Korean fishing boat that was adrift.
But with Japan and South Korea making conflicting accusations, the debate is escalating into a diplomatic issue.
Defense delegations from both sides met in Singapore last week to resolve the dispute, but failed to narrow their differences.
South Korea says Japan should apologize for the low flight of its plane at the time when Japan claims the South Korean vessel directed fire-control radar at it.
In its statement, the South's defense ministry said Japan should give the reasons behind the plane's provocative flight over the South Korean destroyer.
"Japan should not engage in improper media warfare against the South, but carry out a scientific and objective verification of the incident in the presence of experts from the two countries," the ministry said.
