일본 초계기 사안 관련 국방부 입장문 홈페이지에 공식 공개
South Korea's defense ministry released a statement through its website this afternoon,... responding to Japan's official statement posted on its website a day earlier.
Seoul once again urged Tokyo to accept a scientific and objective process.... to verify the facts in the two sides' recent military dispute.
Park Ji-won starts us off.
On its website, South Korea's defense ministry has posted its official statement on the recent radar dispute with Japan.
A day earlier, Japan's defense ministry posted its own statement, and released audio files that it claims to be the sound of electromagnetic waves coming from the targeting radar it claims a South Korean warship used to lock onto a Japanese patrol aircraft late last month in the East Sea.
In its statement, Seoul's defense ministry said the sound released by Japan provides nothing that can be verified scientifically or as evidence... such as the date it was recorded, the location, or the direction and frequency of the supposed radar emissions.
"The sound released by Japan is a processed mechanical sound. Thus we cannot confirm that it is related to the fire-control radar's frequency. In addition, Japan did not provide a system log file to prove its claim that the sound was acquired at the site."
In the working-level discussions between the two countries in Singapore last week... there was no radar expert from the Japanese side, raising questions about Japan's willingness to solve the matter through bilateral consultations.
Seoul also asks why the Japanese plane flew so close to the South Korean ship -- just 500 meters in distance and 150 meters in altitude -- when it could see that the ship, with a rubber boat, was on a mission to rescue a nearby ship in distress.
Normally patrol aircraft give other countries' ships a berth of at least 300 meters in altitude and 5 to 9 thousand meters in distance.
South Korea also asks why Japan did not answer its distress signals in the first place.
"Our position has been stated clearly. We urged Japan to present accurate evidence and to respond with a scientific and objective examination of the matter by experts from both countries. We also urged Japan to apologize for the threatening low-altitude flight. There has been no change in that position. But the South Korean government will continue working to strengthen its joint defense posture with the U.S. and its security cooperation with Japan."
Military sources also said... South Korea is also sharing the latest information on the matter with the U.S.
Park Ji-won, Arirang News.
