(LEAD) S. Korean naval ship arrives in Japan for next week's fleet review

All News 17:10 November 01, 2022

(ATTN: UPDATES throughout with S. Korean ship's arrival; ADDS more details)

SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Yonhap) -- A South Korean naval support ship arrived at a Japanese port Tuesday to take part in the country's international fleet review slated for next week, officials here said.

The 10,000-ton logistics support ship Soyang arrived in Yokosuka at around noon after departing from Jinhae, 410 kilometers south of Seoul, on Saturday, they said.

It plans to participate in the fleet review on the weekend, and join a multinational search and rescue exercise in the Tokyo Bay area to run through Nov. 7.

The Navy, however, has decided not to take part in friendly exchange events with personnel of other participating nations in consideration of South Korea's national mourning period over a deadly crowd crush in Seoul last weekend.

The country declared the weeklong mourning period Sunday over the disaster the previous night that left at least 156 killed during Halloween festivities in the capital's entertainment district of Itaewon.

South Korea's decision to take part in the fleet review comes despite public controversies here over the event, where the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force is to hoist the Rising Sun Flag viewed by many Koreans as a symbol of Japan's imperialist past. The South last participated in Japan's fleet review in 2015.

Seoul's Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup told lawmakers the previous day the government made the decision primarily in consideration of national security, apparently referring to Seoul's efforts to bolster trilateral cooperation with Washington and Tokyo to counter threats from North Korea.