TOKYO, April 19 (UPI) -- A senior Japanese official Wednesday asked South Korea to understand Japan's planned maritime survey around disputed isles in the Sea of Japan.
"There is no problem, in terms of international law, that we conduct a scientific maritime survey within our country's exclusive economic zone," Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said at a news conference, Kyodo News reported.
"Japan is going to continue advancing our work without making a fuss, in accordance with international law," Abe said. "We expect that the survey will be conducted peacefully, with both sides dealing with it in a level-headed manner."
Abe's remarks came after the South Korean coast guard deployed 18 patrol and other vessels around the disputed islets -- called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan -- to block Japanese survey ships.
Japan had planned to start investigating the sea floor topography around the islets as early as Thursday but said it would delay the start of the project to late April due to South Korean protests.
