U.S. Calls South Korea’s Dokdo Defense Drill as “Not Productive”; Encourages Talks with Japan

But how else is the Moon administration going to draw attention away from their latest corruption scandal if they don’t play the Dokdo card?:

South Korea’s military drills on its easternmost islets of Dokdo were “not productive” in the country’s current row with Japan, the U.S. State Department said Tuesday.

The comment comes a day after South Korea concluded a two-day exercise on and around Dokdo, drawing protests from Japan, which lays claims to the islets.

In a statement, a department spokesperson said Washington does not take a position in the territorial dispute but regards the drills as unhelpful in light of the two countries’ ongoing dispute over trade and wartime forced labor.

“The question of the sovereignty of these islands is for the ROK and Japan to resolve peacefully,” the spokesperson said on condition of anonymity, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

“Given the recent disagreements between the ROK and Japan, the timing, messaging, and increased scale of military drills at Liancourt Rocks are not productive toward resolving ongoing issues,” the spokesperson continued, using the Franco-English name for the rocky outcroppings in the East Sea.

“We encourage the ROK and Japan to have committed, sincere discussions on resolving these disputes,” added the spokesperson.

Yonhap

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