Aug 28, 2019 (NHK) - The US State Department has criticized South Korea's recent military drills near the Takeshima Islands. South Korea controls the islands. Japan claims them.
A spokesperson issued a statement to NHK on Tuesday after the two-day regular exercises that were aimed at thwarting an attempt to land on the islands.
The statement says that "given the recent disagreements" between Seoul and Tokyo, "the timing, messaging, and increased scale" of the military drills "are not productive toward resolving ongoing issues."
The statement also says "the United States does not take a position regarding the sovereignty" of the islands, adding that "the question of the sovereignty of these islands" is for the two countries "to resolve peacefully."
It is unusual for Washington to criticize South Korean military exercises near the Takeshima Islands.
The statement is believed to be intended to show that the US does not want the relations between its two allies to deteriorate further.
