Japan protests as South Korea ‘defends’ disputed islands in war games
- Drill comes after South Korea formally scrapped a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan
- Tokyo ‘strongly urged’ Seoul to bring the exercise to a halt
South Korea on Sunday began two days of war games to practise defending disputed islands off its east coast against an unlikely attack from Japan, further stoking tensions between the two neighbours.
The two-day exercise was to involve warships and aircraft, the South Korean navy said in a text message without providing more detail.
The drill – renamed “East Sea territory defence training” – would solidify the military’s resolve to defend the Dokdo islands and the area surrounding the Sea of Japan, the navy said.
While a Japanese attack is deemed highly unlikely, South Korea first staged the drills in 1986 and has conducted them twice a year – usually in June and December.
The delayed exercise comes as tensions with neighbouring Japan continue.