Japan's top defense officials have denied South Korea's claim that a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft made a threateningly low-altitude, close-range flight toward a Korean warship on Wednesday. 

According to Kyodo News, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya on Thursday dismissed South Korea's claim as "inaccurate."

The minister said that he saw the photos Seoul unveiled to back up its claims, but the Japanese aircraft had no intent or reason to pose a threat to a South Korean warship. 

He urged Seoul to accept Tokyo's explanation and respond faithfully, adding the two nations which share regional responsibility should forge future-oriented relations. 

Katsutoshi Kawano, the chief of staff of Japan's Self-Defense Forces, also said on Thursday that the Japanese aircraft never made a threatening low-altitude flight, calling for Seoul's cool-headed response.

Kawano said the plane maintained an altitude of at least 150 meters and it was more than one-thousand meters away from the South Korean warship, countering Seoul's claim that it flew at an altitude of 60 to 70 meters and was just 540 meters away.