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South Korean and Japanese vessels faced off near the Dokdo islets early Wednesday morning even as North Korea was busy firing missiles into the East Sea.
The North¡¯s short- and mid-range missile launches continued for nearly four hours starting at 3:32 a.m. According to government officials, all dropped into the sea on the near side of the Japanese archipelago.
In the midst of all this, the South Korean research vessel Haeyang 2000 pushed on into waters surrounding Dokdo, where it was met by a warning radio call from a Japanese patrol boat to stop. The Haeyang responded it was conducting an oceanic survey of Korean territorial waters and warned the Japanese boat not to interfere. The Japanese did not attempt to seize the vessel as it was escorted by a Korean Coast Guard ship.
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The Haeyang 2000 of the National Oceanographic Research Institute enters waters near Dokdo to survey ocean currents on Wednesday./Yonhap
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The Japanese Foreign Ministry issued a statement expressing "extreme displeasure" at the survey. Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Shotaro Yachi called in Korean Ambassador to Japan Ra Jong-yil to protest.
The Japanese government says it will launch its own ¡°counter-survey¡±, though no timeframe was mentioned. South Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman Choo Kyu-ho said Japan needs Seoul¡¯s consent for any marine research in Korea¡¯s exclusive economic zone. The EEZ of the two countries overlap in waters near Dokdo, and Japan persists in territorial claims to the Korean islets.
Meanwhile, the North's missile launches have increased the chances that a U.S. Aegis destroyer will be dispatched into the East Sea. In additions to growing tensions between Japan and Korea, that is quickly making the East Sea the world¡¯s hottest body of water.
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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