South Korean and Japanese military officials are holding working-level talks in Singapore on the controversy surrounding Tokyo's claims that a South Korean warship directed its fire-control radar toward a Japanese patrol aircraft.

The two sides opened the negotiations at South Korea’s Embassy in Singapore. Later in the afternoon, they moved the venue to Japan’s Embassy. 

South Korea is said to be represented by a Navy vice admiral while Japan is represented by an Air Force lieutenant general. 

The two sides are focusing talks on checking radio signal data and ways to prevent similar incidents. 

Seoul refutes Japan's allegations, saying its radar never locked-on the Japanese aircraft. It says that the three-thousand-200-ton destroyer Gwanggaeto the Great was carrying out a humanitarian operation to assist a North Korean vessel drifting in the East Sea on December 20th. Seoul also stressed that the Japanese plane was flying at a low altitude, which was "threatening" to the ship.

An official of South Korea’s military said Seoul and Tokyo chose Singapore as the venue for the working-level talks given its proximity and as it houses embassies of both countries.