Japan protests armed N. Korean boat in Tokyo economic zone

Dan Lewis: "smithinjapan - sure, if Japan sent armed boats into NK's economic zone and was threatening their fishermen. I would assume that any nation would defend what was an obvious act of aggression"

They don't KNOW for a fact it was NK, or at least are not telling us why. Anytime they have an act of aggression on camera by NK they record it on video. Why no video released here? And if they are not 100% sure, in a nation where a body can be a pile of mush under a girder but you can't call it dead until it's transported to the hospital in a state of "cardiac arrest", why the formal complaint to a nation it only suspects?

Sounds like more hogwash to bolster the polls at home when they are at record lows. And if I'm wrong, prove it.

If anyone remembers the USS Pueblo in 1968..

"North Korea stated that Pueblo deliberately entered their territorial waters 7.6 nautical miles (14 km) away from Ryo Island, and that the logbook shows that they intruded several times. However, the United States maintains that the vessel was in international waters at the time of the incident and that any purported evidence supplied by North Korea to support its statements was fabricated."

Reverse this situation and North Korea would capture the Japanese Boat. You never see them again . . .

And why wasn't an AC-130 dispatched to the area along with a fighter aircraft of your choosing ? Ridiculous.

Japan's 'rights' extend only 12 miles after which we are in international waters meaning that the Bukhan can sail a naval vessel within,say, 13 miles of Japan's coast and still be within their own rights under international law.

Partly correct but some major points are missing or wrong.

12 miles is territorial waters where Japan can control everything, even boats just transiting. From 12 miles out to 200 miles (~320 km) is the Exclusive Economic Zone. In the EEZ any boat can transit BUT fishing and other economic activities aren't allowed.

500 km would put it outside the EEZ unless the 500 km is from the mainland of Japan while there is a Japanese island within ~320 km of the area because the EEZ extends outwards from island also.

Umm, the so-called 'economic zone' as defined by the U.N. refers to undersea interests only. Insofar as the surface waters are concerned, Japan's 'rights' extend only 12 miles after which we are in international waters meaning that the Bukhan can sail a naval vessel within,say, 13 miles of Japan's coast and still be within their own rights under international law. If Japan's view were correct, the Russians would have had to ask both Britain's and France's permission to sail their aircraft carrier through the 'English' Channel. Good luck with that. And do Japanese naval and fishing vessels 'respect' North Korean economic zone rights? Or the U.S. Navy or Hanguk Navy? I suspect not.

Most, I believe, Abe's psychopathic government is trying to establish a nascent Greater East Asian Co-prosperity type claim and to also make hypocritical noise to futher alarm the Japanese people so that fear drives their choices toward choosing agaoinst their own best interests for 'security'. This is one of the oldest political ploys in the Psychopath's Handbook but seems to work every time.

The japanese ship ran away. Sounds about right for japan. Weak as usual.

Maybe they have to chase away Japanese fish ship because everyone is hungry in their country?

I remember about 10-15 years ago I think the JCG fired upon a NK "fishing vessel" and captured the boat. It was a spy ship with hidden compartments and all, and the Japanese out it up on display at the maritime museum in Odaiba. I was in Tokyo at the time and went to see it. So while in that case the NKs actually fired first with the JCG returning fire, I don't think there's any lack of cojones on the part of the JCG when given the green light. I'm also rather surprised at this somewhat ridiculous sounding situation now, unless there are politics behind it that we're not being told. With the current NK situation being what it is, it may be possible that the Patrol Boat was told to stand down.

500 km west would put both ships almost in North or South Korea.

7th of this month? Hmmm... in that same zone? Maybe they were also looking to collect something that might have dropped out of the sky three days before? To stop anyone else collecting and analyzing it?

seriously when a coast guard boat runs away from poaches, you know you've lost the battle before its even begun. grow some F nads send an armed CG boat if somebody points a gun at you point a bigger one back!!

some of Japan CG boats have very large auto turrets attached.

You could just as easily be giving your 'advice' to both sides.

smithinjapan - sure, if Japan sent armed boats into NK's economic zone and was threatening their fishermen. I would assume that any nation would defend what was an obvious act of aggression.

Shooting someone with a gun is at least assault, if not attempted murder. Pointing your gun at someone may not be the same, but it is certainly not innocent. If someone were to come to my house, threaten me, and I'd do my best to make sure they didn't leave in one piece!

Are they really fishing or kidnapping people?

From the headline I thought these jokers were in Tokyo bay.

Japan's EEZ, not Tokyo's

So, when "unidentified" boats point guns at any Japanese Government Vessel, the logical thing to do is call in one of the JSDF Destroyers to come in and point its guns back, or bring in a chopper or plane and start dropping flares. If the "unidentified" boat decides to shoot back, sink it. Whomever the boat belongs to will lodge a complain or protest and, at such an incident, remind the owner of the now-sunken vessel to keep their ships out of Japanese territorial waters. End of story.

protest? blow it out of the water!

500km west of Japan?

wouldnt that make it in International Waters?

I'm not clear how that is in Japanese Territorial Waters or why Japan claims it as being in their exclusive economic zone.

Forgot to mention that the J fisheries ships report that they have also had trouble with their screws getting fouled by NK nets. (see J article above.)

The fishing ground is called Yamatodai and good for squid etc. Map here: http://www.sankei.com/affairs/photos/170708/afr1707080002-p1.html

I guess 'Tokyo' in the headline means Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone..

Since around June 20 there have been about 100 DPRK boats fishing illegally for squid there, zeroing in on the J fishing lights and driving away the Japanese fishing boats. With guns being shown, the Japanese say they do not want to get involved in anything potentially dangerous. The DPRK fishing industry is directly under the control of the army, the article also states.

In Japanese: http://www.jiji.com/jc/article?k=2017071200968&g=prk

Any Armed Fishing Boat in Japanese Territorial waters that do that Should Be *Treated as **hostile** Then the Air force Treat it appropriately with heavy grenade rockets or self ***guiding tracking torpedoes .

Arial dropped

Why is this all coming out a week later?

Where is the video of it all? I'm sure they must have videoed it for evidence.

The fishery vessel is a civilian vessel. Not a coast guard or navy ship.

If they are shot, nothing can be done, except flee unless someone come to the rescue.

Japan looks indeed weak on that one.

Still think they should have confronted them and send a plane to sink them if necessary.

Suga said that Japan determined the boat was North Korean by observing and analyzing its crew members as well as other details.

False flag is long overdue. Curious what these 'other details' are!!

Well, Japan don't want to be accused of provocation - which I expect the other vessel would claim, whatever the circumstances. The big game of politics. I expect the patrol vessels captain sought advice from higher authorities before withdrawing.

If the Japanese fisheries vessel ran away when confronted with a fisherman armed with a gun, why waste your time "patrolling it for illegal operations." If Japan is claiming the area as part of their exclusive economic zone then they need to be able to enforce it. To have their "policeman" chased for 10 miles is just embarrassing! Even if they were unarmed, they should have hove out of range and called up armed reinforcements, arrested the vessel, confiscated it and deported the crew except for the one with the gun who should be prosecuted. If the vessel was an armed NK Gov vessel then it is an act of war and it should have been blown out of the water by either the naval or air arms of the SDF!

Next time it points its guns at you, blow the f*cker out of the water by sending the jets.

Nobody is going to mind.

It's good they had cool enough heads to not confront the invader. If it were me, I would have sunk them

Meh, more attempts to save Abe's bacon, no doubt.

Suga said that Japan determined the boat was North Korean by observing and analyzing its crew members as well as other details.

Looking at the crew? Could be from any asian nation...

Dan Lewis: "Sink them with a sub. Accidents happen all the time."

You're suggesting they do this to the nation that supposedly sunk a state-of-the-art warship with... well, let's face it, they never found proof of who did it with what; only surmised it as Suga and Co. have here surmised it was North Korea, and then launched a formal complaint as though assumptions were fact in a nation where you can't even legally say the suspect is a criminal until the gavel has come down in court?

You could just as easily be giving your 'advice' to both sides.

Sink them with a sub. Accidents happen all the time.