Jul 30 11:46 AM US/EasternSEOUL, July 31 (AP) - (Kyodo) — South Korea on Wednesday began defense drills at a group of islets in the Sea of Japan at the center of a territorial dispute with Japan.
The drills appear to be part of South Korea's intensifying efforts to assert its control of the islets, which are known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.
The drill is being conducted under the scenario of the South Korean navy chasing away an unidentified ship approaching the territorial waters of the islets, according to reports.
Meanwhile, the South Korean premier's office on Wednesday dismissed Japan's criticism of Prime Minister Han Seung Soo's earlier visit to the islets, according to South Korea's Yonhap News Agency.
"Japan's remark is not even worth an official comment," Kim Wang Ki, a spokesman for the prime minister, was quoted as saying. "There cannot be a controversy over the prime minister visiting his country's territory."
Japan's top government spokesman on Tuesday criticized Han's visit as inappropriate.
While acknowledging differences over the sovereignty of the South Korean-held islets, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Nobutaka Machimura said, "The basic stance is for both sides to handle this in a calm manner in order to build a new age for Japan-South Korea relations, and I don't think such action to stir up the differences is very appropriate."
Ownership of Takeshima, which includes surrounding reefs and covers a total area of 210,000 square meters, has been the subject of a long- standing dispute between the two neighbors.
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