[anchor]
Russia, which is invading Ukraine, is rapidly increasing its military activity in the strait north of Japan.
It is an unspoken pressure sent to Japan, which is actively participating in sanctions, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party is even publicizing nuclear sharing in response to this.
Correspondent Park Won-ki, Tokyo correspondent.
[report]
Six ships, including a Russian destroyer and submarine, passed through the Soya Strait and entered the East Sea, the Japanese Ministry of Defense announced.
The Soya Strait is the sea between Sakhalin, Russia and Hokkaido, Japan, and is only about 40 kilometers wide.
Russia also passed 10 ships through the Tsugaru Strait between Hokkaido and Honshu last week, and even conducted missile launch training in the Kuril Islands.
The Japanese government has expressed concern.
[Hirokazu Matsuno, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan: “The Russian military is actively working around us in the Ukrainian situation, and we are monitoring it with deep concern.”]
Even earlier this year, Prime Minister Kishida has shown a conciliatory attitude toward Russia with the intention of returning the four Kuril Islands that are effectively under Russian control.
However, after the invasion of Ukraine, when the US announced sanctions against Russia, it immediately declared its participation.
We are keeping pace with the G7, including freezing the assets of President Putin and others and reviewing Russias deprivation of “most-favoured-nation” treatment.
[Kishida Fumio/12th/Japanese Prime Minister: “We will take concrete actions while cooperating with the G7 countries. I will definitely think about what to do with Japan in terms of solidarity.”]
Russia is also showing signs of rekindling the conflict over the four Kuril islands as Russia designates Japan as a non-friendly country and adds armed protests.
The ruling Liberal Democratic Party is even making public talk of “nuclear sharing,” in which U.S. nuclear weapons are deployed and jointly operated in Japan, and the invasion of Ukraine is having a huge impact both inside and outside Japan.
This is Wonki Park from KBS News in Tokyo.
Video editing: high application/graphics: Choi Min-young
