Japanese spy plane flies near islands disputed with S. Korea

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Japanese spy plane flies near islands disputed with S. Korea

Channel News Asia | March 17 2005

TOKYO : Japan said Thursday one of its spy planes flew near a disputed island chain controlled by South Korea amid rising tension over the territorial row, but downplayed the incident.

On Wednesday, a Japanese RF-4C reconnaissance plane flew as close as 16 kilometers (10 miles) from the chain of rocky isles, called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in Korea, prompting warnings from South Korea's air force, press reports said.

"I was told that there was nothing particularly unusual about it," Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda told a regular news conference. "The Defence Agency informed me that they routinely conduct such flight missions."

The top government spokesman said the flights were carried out in a manner that did not infringe on the sovereignty of any other country or international law.

The decades-old dispute came back to boiling point on Wednesday as a Japanese prefecture enacted an ordinance designating February 22 as "Takeshima Day" in recognition of the chain of islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

The law said the day, which marks a 1905 declaration of Shimane prefecture's rule over the islands, is meant to "promote movements to establish sovereignty over Takeshima at an early date and raise national awareness over the issue."

In Seoul, protesters burned Japanese flags on Wednesday as the South Korean government said it had lifted restrictions on civilian access to the tiny islands to exert sovereignty.

Asked about heated criticism of Japan by South Korea's media, Hosoda said, "I suppose there is a misconception of facts."

The islets are uninhabited but are surrounded by choice fishing grounds some 250 kilometers (155 miles) north of Japan's Shimane and 215 kilometers (133 miles) east of South Korea's port city of Uljin.

The island issue has spoiled Tokyo-Seoul relations which had warmed in the past few years with South Korea -- unlike China -- largely putting on the backburner bitter memories of Japanese occupation in the early 20th century.