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The Japanese government is to conduct a comprehensive survey of underwater resources in its territorial waters from this year, which could come dangerously close to Korea's Dokdo islets unless a dispute over the two countries' exclusive economic zones is resolved.
Tokyo has drawn up a draft plan on the development of marine energy and mineral resources, the Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Tuesday. It specifies target areas, timing, and method.
The survey is to take a decade beginning this year. The final development plan is expected by the end of March. Underwater resources to be developed will include energy resources, such as methane hydrates, oil and natural gas, and rare metals, such as cobalt-rich crusts and rare earth.
The report said Japan plans to survey the distribution of resources in a radius of 60,000 sq. km in the East Sea using the geophysical exploration ship "Shigen" and to bore the sea floor in the prospective areas. That could transgress on Korea's EEZ amid deadlocked bilateral talks on its delineation.
But an official with the Korean Embassy in Tokyo said, "We have been told that Japan has made no concrete review of any plan to survey the East Sea and understand that no draft plan has been made yet."
(englishnews@chosun.com )
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