South Korea started a two-day maneuver today. According to the South Korean Navy, warships and planes are used in the military exercise. The goal is to train the army’s capabilities to defend a disputed island group off the east coast of South Korea.
This is controversial between Japan and South Korea. It is controlled by Seoul and called Dokdo. However, Japan is also entitled to it. It is called Takeshima by the Japanese. Since 1986, South Korea has been holding maneuvers to defend an extremely unlikely attack on Japan.
Relationships worsened significantly
The Japanese government criticized the exercises and demanded their suspension. The Foreign Ministry in Tokyo said the exercises were „extremely unfortunate.“ The Japanese government has filed a diplomatic protest in Seoul against the maneuvers.
Relations between Japan and South Korea are currently strained. The two countries are negotiating with each other and have recently announced cooperation in the field of military reconnaissance. Background of the dispute is Japan’s colonization of Korea from 1910 to 1945. Courts in South Korea recently ruled that Japanese companies had to compensate forced laborers. Tokyo said that this question had been clarified decades ago.
