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ROK Soyang fast combat support ship takes part in the Japanese naval fleet review, the first time Korea has participated in the review in 7 years. (courtesy of the JMSDF)

The time was 11:40 am on Sunday in Sagami Bay off the coast of Japan’s Kanagawa Prefecture.

A state-of-the-art ROKS Soyang combat support ship (11,000 tons) arrived in front of the JS Izumo aircraft carrier — with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on board — at Japan’s first international naval review in 20 years, which was being held for the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF).

As trumpets sounded and the call of “Attention” rang out, young South Korean sailors who had been observing the carrier gave a salute. Kishida returned the gesture, his hand on his heart.

The carrier was flying the same flag that hung on Japanese naval vessels that performed on the front lines in Japan’s past wars of aggression, including the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905) and the Second World War (1941–1945). The same Rising Sun Flag that was the Japanese Navy’s symbol during the era of militarism is still being used as the JMSDF flag.

Taking part in its first Japanese naval review in seven years, South Korea sailed ninth out of 12 countries. Perhaps out of awareness of the controversy the “Rising Sun” flag has sparked, the South Korean government opted to send a combat support ship rather than a combat ship.

In past years, the South Korean Navy sent its ROKS Gwanggaeto the Great destroyer (2002) and ROKS Dae Jo-yeong destroyer (2015). The Nikkei newspaper predicted that “a South Korean warship’s first participation in seven years will lead to improved relations among Japanese and South Korean defense authorities.”

A naval review is a ceremony in which the military’s commander-in-chief inspects warships and troops. Japan ordinarily holds reviews once every three years, although it also organizes international reviews for major military occasions. The latest event was the first international review held in 20 years, the last having come in 2002.

It was the largest yet in scale, with 18 warships taking part from 12 countries — as if to send a message of the Western world’s unity in the face of China’s rise.

The most active participants were the US and Australia, which has been upgraded to “quasi-alliance” status with Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. The US sent one warship and five aircraft, while Australia sent three warships and a submarine.

Host country Japan showed off its own military might that day, bringing out 20 warships — including JMSDF escort ships, support ships, and transport ships — and three submarines. In the skies around the JS Izumo, P-1 aircraft — a point of pride for Japan — were joined by SH-60K anti-submarine helicopters and the P-3C, a mainstay surveillance aircraft. Combat aircraft were also on display, including the F-2, F-15J and F-35.

The event Sunday took place one day after the US brought B-1B Lancer bombers, sometimes called the “swan of death,” to the Korean Peninsula for the first time in nearly five years since December 2017 to counter North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

The situation that unfolded was one where 14 countries — including South Korea, the US and Japan — appeared united against North Korea.

Indeed, Kishida made no secret of that message. In a message to Pyongyang delivered from the JS Izumo on Sunday, he noted that North Korea “had been conducting missile launches with a high frequency this year, including intercontinental ballistic missiles” and stressed that this was “absolutely unacceptable.”

The Asahi Shimbun newspaper said that Japan’s Ministry of Defense was “increasing its alertness to the North Korean response, including additional missile launches.”

Kishida also alluded to the threat posed by China.

“The security situation is becoming more serious around Japan, including the East and South China Seas,” he said, adding that Japan “must respond to the threat of military force.”

“This year, we will be allocating a new national security strategy, with fundamental reinforcements to our defense capabilities within the next five years,” he also said, stressing that he was “ruling out no options when it comes to protecting the public.”

With his remarks, Kishida reaffirmed his intent to increase the defense budget for “counterattack capabilities” — enemy base strike capabilities to counter the missile threats from nearby North Korea and China. The JS Izumo, which served as the flagship for the naval review Sunday, is to carry F-35B aircraft in the future as it ventures into the East and South China Seas to face off against China.

The event Sunday was broadcast live worldwide on the JMSDF website.

By Kim So-youn, Tokyo correspondent

Please direct questions or comments to [english@hani.co.kr]