A senior Japanese official has expressed regret over the South Korean military's statement on Wednesday that a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft made a threateningly low-altitude, close-range flight toward a Korean warship.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday that Japan wants to call for a coolheaded and appropriate response from Seoul.

In a regular briefing, Suga said the patrol aircraft did not fly in the manner as described by South Korea and that the Defense Ministry had reported that the flight was properly conducted.

Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya told reporters Wednesday that records pertaining to the flight exist and the patrol plane operated in line with international law.

When asked what was recorded and whether Tokyo is willing to disclose it, the cabinet secretary simply said that he believes the defense authorities of the two countries would seek to communicate.

Minister Iwaya claimed Wednesday that the Japanese aircraft maintained an altitude of over 150 meters and a distance of more than 500 meters.