Foreign Minister Han Seung-soo has delivered South Korea's strong protest to Japan and Russia over their reported agreement to ban South Korean fishing off the southern Kurils.
Han called in the Russian Ambassador to South Korea and asked the Russian government to protect South Korea's fishing rights in the region. Han called the fishing ban 'a very disappointing and regrettable development,' which will hurt South Korea's trust in Russia.
The Foreign Minister also conveyed a similar protest to the Japanese Ambassador to Seoul on Friday.
On Wednesday, Han warned Japanese Foreign Minister Makiko Tanaka by phone that the fishing ban could further strain already troubled ties between the countries prior to the visit by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.
Earlier this week, Japanese media said Japan and Russia agreed to ban South Korean fishing vessels from entering the waters off the Southern Kurils. The islands captured by the Soviet Union at the close of the second World War are also claimed by Japan.