Top diplomats of S. Korea, Japan hold phone talks amid radar spat

Source: Xinhua| 2019-01-04 17:02:36|Editor: mmm
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SEOUL, Jan. 4 (Xinhua) -- Top diplomats of South Korea and Japan on Friday held talks via telephone amid the military radar wrangle between the two countries, according to South Korea's foreign ministry.

South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and his Japanese counterpart Taro Kono had phone conversations Friday afternoon, exchanging opinions on the South Korean top court's ruling on forced labor during World War and the radar row involving a South Korean battleship and a Japanese patrol plane.

Kang and Kono shared a view that the two sides need to narrow difference over the radar spat through working-level consultations of the military authorities.

The Seoul defense ministry released its video clip Friday to rebut Japan's claim that a South Korean destroyer locked its fire-control radar on a Japanese patrol aircraft on Dec. 20. It was in response to the Japanese defense ministry's release on Dec. 28 of its video footage.

Japan claimed that the South Korean warship directed its fire-control radar at the Japanese warplane, flatly denied by South Korea.

During the phone talks, Kang explained about her country's stance on the top court's ruling, while Kono explained about his country's position, indicating a remaining difference on the historical issue.

The South Korean Supreme Court ruled in 2018 that two Japanese companies should compensate the South Korean victims who were forced into labor without pay during the Pacific War. The Korean Peninsula was colonized by the Imperial Japan from 1910 to 1945.

Japan has claimed that the colonial-era issue was resolved through the 1965 government-to-government deal that normalized relations between Seoul and Tokyo. It was in contrast to the Seoul top court's ruling that acknowledged the individuals' right to claim damages.

Kang and Kono agreed during the talks to make continued efforts for the development of future-oriented relations between Seoul and Tokyo by closely communicating with each other.

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