Japan refusing to invite South Korea to naval review, report says

Feb. 25 (UPI) -- Japan's defense ministry could be withholding an invitation to South Korea.

Tokyo's military is planning a naval review in October, but it has yet to send an official invitation to Seoul even as there are plans to conduct the review with the United States, Australia, India and Singapore, Japan's Sankei Shimbun reported Monday.

Japan has already sent an invitation to the Chinese military but a similar message to Korea is being "withheld," according to the report.

Japan's maritime self-defense force conducts a naval review every three years. This year, naval ships from friendly countries are being invited to the event.

Deteriorating relations between Japan and South Korea may be responsible for the latest development. According to South Korean news service News 1, South Korea's Navy destroyer Dae Jo Yeong did take part in the Japanese naval review in 2015, with the United States, Australia, India and France.

A Japanese defense force source told the Sankei that "unless South Korea addresses the radar issue, it will be difficult to invite" Seoul to the naval review.

Japan said in January a South Korean naval ship targeted the Japanese aircraft in December with fire-control radar. Seoul has said the claim is false.

An official with Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party said the invitation is being held because of the radar incident; unless South Korea issues an apology an invitation will not be extended, the official said, according to the Sankei.

The report comes a day after Japan's defense minister said that Japanese ships will not enter the South Korean port of Busan, while taking part in the rest of the joint training in late April.

South Korean government announcements about Japan's decisions, following the statement, have been a source of confusion in Tokyo, according to the Asahi Shimbun.