[Yonhap News Photo]
SEOUL -- South Korea's military displayed its frayed patience and warned of strong action in accordance with a code of conduct, condemning a Japanese patrol plane's low-altitude flight close to a Korean warship as an outright provocation.
The warning came on the heels of a diplomatic row that began on December 20 when Tokyo accused a South Korean destroyer of locking its fire-control radar on a Japanese maritime patrol plane in what it called a "dangerous" act. South Korea insisted the warship was involved in a humanitarian mission to rescue a North Korean ship in distress.
The row escalated on Wednesday when the South's defense ministry accused a Japanese P-3 patrol plane of flying close to a 4,500-ton Korean warship against at 2:03 pm (0503 GMT) off the southern island of Jeju.
"We can not but doubt Japan's real intention because it is a provocative act against a ship of its ally. We strongly condemn it," Suh Wook, chief director of operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters.
"If this action is repeated again, we will act strongly in accordance with our military code of conduct," he said, adding that Japanese planes have made "threatening" flights twice this month despite South Korea's "patient and disciplined" response.
The South's defense ministry called in a defense attache from the Japanese Embassy in Seoul to lodge a protest.
Ties between the two Asian neighbors have been in the doldrums for years, with South Korea insisting that Japan should apologize and make amends for abuses during its colonial rule. In particular, Seoul wants Tokyo to address the issue of women forced to work in Japanese wartime military brothels.
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