A research vessel commissioned by a South Korean state-run company has sailed within Japan's exclusive economic zone around the Takeshima islands in Shimane Prefecture, prompting the Japanese government to request through diplomatic channels that Seoul explain the purpose of the ship's sailing there, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said at a press conference on Tuesday.
According to government officials, the Norwegian-registered vessel sailed through the waters about 100 kilometers south of the Takeshima islets from May 9 to 12 and entered Japan's EEZ. The vessel navigated erratically at low speed with a cable-like object hanging from its stern.
