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According to reports in the Japanese press, the research vessel will first port at Sakai harbor in the Tottori prefecture, and is scheduled to depart sometime around the 20th to commence the surveys in the Dokdo region.

And with this decision of the Japanese government to follow through with its hotly contested plan to dispatch a research vessel to the area that Korea considers to be its exclusive economic zone, the East Sea conflict between the two nations has reached fever pitch. The commencement of the mission is known to have proceeded after receipt of an advance sanction from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

Upon receiving the report from the head of the Japanese Coast Guard Ishikawa Hiroki on Tuesday, Prime Minister Koizumi issued the order to proceed (with the survey) in a cool-headed and precise manner.

Japanese government spokesman, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe also said in a press conference, “This must be dealt with in a calm manner, and according to international law,” forewarning that the Japanese government’s plans will be carried out according to plan.

Speaking to the foreign and domestic press at a briefing Wednesday at Foreign Ministry headquarters, Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon explains the government’s stance on the issue of Japan’s imminent survey of the waters surrounding the Dokdo islets. Ban said concerning the possible intrusion of a research vessel into Korea’s exclusive economic zone, “We are preparing plans for all contingencies.”

After obtaining reports that the Japanese research vessel was en route, Korean Coast Guard authorities dispatched orders to beef up security at the border regions near Dokdo. Previously maritime officials, knowing that there was a high likelihood that the vessel would be dispatched this week, ordered a 5000 ton patrol boat to head to the scene.

In the Dokdo vicinity 1500t vessels have been used primarily for making the patrols. The Korean Coast Guard did not make precisely clear the scale of naval forces that they had dispatched, but the number of ships in the immediate area that have already been mobilized or are on standby is known to be 18-19 vessels.

(englishnews@chosun.com )