Japan cancels Izumo's port call in Busan

NHK -- Feb 06

Japan's Defense Ministry has canceled a port call of a Self-Defense Forces vessel in Busan, South Korea, amid soured relations.

The ministry says it notified the South Korean side of the decision on Tuesday.

It had planned to send the destroyer Izumo in late April to the port during joint exercises among some Asian and Pacific nations scheduled in waters around South Korea to Singapore.

But officials say the current environment is not fit for deepening exchanges. They say Japan will take part in the drills themselves.

Relations between Japan's Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military have been strained. South Korea's defense ministry denies that one of its vessels directed a fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol plane. Separately, it claims Japanese SDF aircraft conducted provocative flights against its ships -- an allegation the Japanese side denies. The South Korean side has demand the SDF apologize.

The Japanese Defense Ministry plans to refrain from exchanges with South Korea until the South Korean public opinion and other factors become favorable.

Feb 06 (ANNnewsCH) - 防衛省は、今年の春に計画していた海上自衛隊の護衛艦「いずも」の韓国への寄港を取りやめると正式に発表しました。 今春のASEAN(東南アジア諸国連合)の防衛大臣らが集まる会議の関連で、韓国沖などで多国間の共同訓練が計画されています。