South Korea: South Korea considers inviting Japan for fleet review based on "past history". According to South Korea's defense minister, the defense ministry is considering an invitation from Japan to review the naval fleet together, but old animosity and unresolved disputes stand in the way.

South Korea's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup said South Korea is determined to build "future-oriented" relations with Japan, and that if mutual cooperation with the US can boost regional security, then their military ties will increase. Must be "improved". Wednesday.

"Japan- [South Korea] defense cooperation is influenced by overall Japanese-South Korean relations," he said. "The terms for improving Japan-[South Korea] relations are currently being established."

However, according to Li, cooperation between the two countries has been hampered by longstanding regional and historical differences.

The two countries have been fighting for decades over the recognition of South Korean comfort women forced into prostitution by Imperial Japan during World War II.

Surviving victims and South Korean lawmakers from all political parties have claimed that the Japanese authorities' previous apologies fell short of their expectations and demanded that their government formally acknowledge its history.

"Japan-South Korea relations remain difficult because of issues from their past," Lee said. "Our people will be uncomfortable if our Navy salutes the Japanese Navy with the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force Flag, which is similar to the Rising Sun flag, while our Navy participates in the review of the International Naval Fleet."

According to Lee, another unresolved dispute involved a South Korean warship allegedly using radar to target a Japanese patrol plane in 2018.

"The claims made by both sides differ on how the incident happened," Lee said.

According to Japan's Defense Ministry, a South Korean destroyer used its fire-control radar to track down a Japanese P-1 patrol within Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone. South Korea's Defense Ministry refuted the claim, claiming that its destroyer saw the plane through an optical camera during the rescue operation.

Japan is also planning an international naval fleet review in November.

South Korea, the United States, China, Australia and several other countries were invited to display their naval assets during the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Fleet Review, which takes place every three years.

According to NavalNews.com, South Korea's Navy has participated in the review three times, the most recent time in 2015. According to the chief of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, it was not invited in 2019 due to "too harsh" relations. two countries. During a news conference that year, Staff Admiral Hiroshi Yamamura K.

Li said the Defense Ministry had not taken any decision on Japan's invitation.

"We will consider the issue carefully with the relevant ministries based on a combination of public sentiment, international norms, etc.," Lee told Yonhap News.

North Korea's official website, Uriminjokiri, published a column on Friday criticizing Japan's fleet review. Those present were punished to pay tribute to the Japanese Navy, which is represented by the flag of the rising sun according to the column.

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