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South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo orders a “strong and lawful response” to further flybys by Japanese aircraft at the Navy’s operational commander center in Busan on Jan. 26. (provided by the Ministry of National Defense)

The South Korean military is leaning toward a “strict but sober response” to threatening flybys by Japan’s patrol planes. The military’s plan is to make the strongest response possible within the legal limits, while respecting military regulations and international rules. The military doesn’t intend to ease up pressure or lower its readiness, even if this complicates South Korea-Japan military cooperation in the short term.

“Since Japan continues to deny the evidence of threatening flybys by its patrol planes, we’re forced to imagine the recurrence of such a situation in the future. The military is obliged to prepare for every contingency,” said an official with South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Jan. 27.

“In the short term, this is expected to create difficulties for South Korea-Japan military cooperation. But as long as Japan’s attitude doesn’t change, our military’s readiness posture won’t change either,” the official said.

During a visit to the South Korean Navy’s operational command, located in Busan, on Jan. 26, Minister of Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo ordered the military to make a strong and lawful response according to its response rules if a Japanese patrol plane made another threatening flyby.

“We will not tolerate any action that threatens the safety of service members who are carrying out their normal duties,” said Jeong, who visited the command control room wearing the type of leather jacket issued to naval pilots.

Jeong’s visit to the naval operational command appeared to be a response to Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya’s visit the day before to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force’s base at Atsugi. That’s the home base of the P-1 patrol plane that claims it was tracked by targeting radar on the South Korean destroyer ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great on Dec. 20.

“The threatening flyby by the Japanese patrol plane is behavior that would not be tolerated by the navy of any other country in the world. Allowing such behavior defies common sense,” Jeong said.

On Jan. 25, Gen. Park Han-ki, chairman of South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff, issued “Command Missive No. 1,” which instructs units to shorten their operational reaction time for threatening flybys by Japanese patrol planes and to set up a swift and accurate system of reporting.

In the missive, Park instructed the military to “establish operational discipline and adopt a comprehensive readiness posture prepared for all threats that are directly connected to national security and public safety,” a military source said.

The Joint Chiefs of Staff are also speeding up efforts to firm up the military’s response rules. After the revision, patrol planes from another country that come within 10 miles of a South Korean naval vessel will be sent a warning message, and the language of that message will be made tougher. Previously, patrol planes were not sent a warning message until they came within a distance of five miles.

Other potential responses to a threatening flyby that are reportedly being discussed are launching the anti-submarine helicopters carried aboard ships or bringing in any South Korean patrol planes that may be operating in the area. The Joint Chiefs’ defense rules reportedly contain a last-resort option of activating weapons systems aboard the ship to take “self-defense measures.”

South Korea’s Defense Ministry is emphasizing that the “door to dialogue” remains open. But since Japan’s Defense Ministry declared that deliberations with South Korea were suspended in its “final opinion” released on Jan. 21, it seems unlikely that dialogue will resume for the time being. Prolonging the dispute between South Korea and Japan could also damage the framework of their trilateral military cooperation with the US, which has led to argue that the US should get involved.

But South Korea’s Defense Ministry has made clear that this is a matter for South Korea and Japan to deal with. “Fundamentally, this issue arose between South Korea and Japan, and they’re the countries that will have to work it out,” a Ministry official said.

Jeong, the Defense Minister, met with Gen. Robert Abrams, commander of South Korea-US Combined Forces Command, on Jan. 24, but the two didn’t discuss a response to Japan’s patrol planes, the Defense Ministry explained.

By Yoo Kang-moon, seniors staff writer

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