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| This photo shows Japan's JS Hamagiri destroyer at Busan Naval Base in Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, flying the ensign of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, May 29. Yonhap |
Multinational maritime drills aimed at preventing the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) will be scaled back due to poor weather conditions, Seoul's defense ministry said Tuesday.
The Eastern Endeavor 23 drills were scheduled to take place as Korea hosts a high-level forum of countries committed to preventing the trafficking of WMDs under the Proliferation Security Initiative on Jeju Island this week.
"Due to worsening weather in the exercise waters, we have decided to hold the multinational drills in the international waters in simplified procedures," the ministry said.
Under the scaled-back plan, Korea's ROKS Wang Geon destroyer, the U.S.' USS Milius destroyer, Japan's JS Hamagiri destroyer and Australia's HMAS Anzac frigate will depart from Busan, 320 kilometers southeast of Seoul, later Tuesday to hold communication line inspection drills in international waters south of the city.
They will then head to the international waters south of Jeju to conduct the maritime interdiction exercise in a computer-simulated format the next day, before they head back to their respective countries.
Due to the changes, the ministry added that a planned review of the warships by Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup has been canceled.
The event had drawn attention as the Japanese warship was expected to hoist the ensign of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, which critics say could trigger a historical controversy as it looks akin to the Rising Sun Flag seen as symbolic of Japan's past militarism. (Yonhap)
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