Politics

South Korea joins naval review in Japan for the first time in 7 years

Tokyo, Nov 6 (EFE).- South Korea participated in Japan’s international naval fleet review on Sunday for the first time in seven years, amid increasing tensions in the Korean peninsula.

The review, which took place in Sagami Bay, Kanagawa Prefecture (southwest of Tokyo), involved a total of 18 ships from 12 nations, including South Korea, Australia, Canada, India and the United States, and six French and American fighter planes.

The review was held to commemorate the 70 anniversary of the establishment of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force this year, and it is scheduled to continue on Monday with a joint simulation focused on search and rescue missions.

South Korea’s involvement comes with an improvement in relations between Tokyo and Seoul under South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, and amid growing tensions on the Korean peninsula in the wake of increased provocations by Pyongyang.

Bilateral relations between Seoul and Tokyo reached their lowest point in decades under Yoon’s predecessor, Moon Jae-in, mainly over differences in approach towards the atrocities committed by Japan during its colonial rule of the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945.

Experts are hopeful the relationship between the two countries will improve under the Yoon administration, which has stressed that the Japan and South Korea can resolve all issues simultaneously. EFE

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