Seoul and Tokyo tried to narrow differences over their fishing dispute Monday in which South Korean boats have been banned from fishing for saury in waters near the Sanriku region.
The ban is seen as a protest against a fisheries agreement between South Korea and Russia concerning fishing rights in waters close to the disputed Southern Kurils.
In an unofficial meeting held at the Central Government Complex, the South Korean side stressed that fishing near the Southern Kurils, whose sovereignty is the subject of dispute between Japan and Russia, follows international laws. The islands have been under Russian jurisdiction since the end of World War II.
The South Korean side insisted Japan lift the ban immediately but Tokyo is thought to have rejected the demand.
A government official said...the Seoul government will stick to its position as the fishing near Sanriku seriously affects the interests of its fishermen.
Director general of the foreign ministry's Asia and Pacific affairs bureau, Choo Kyu-ho represented Korea while his counterpart, Kunihiko Makita, spoke for Japan.