Seoul lodged a formal protest against Japan on Monday for barring its fishing boats from waters off the Sanriku region of northeastern Japan, South Korea's Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry said.
The South Korean protest was lodged after Han Seung Soo, the South Korean foreign affairs and trade minister, met with Terusuke Terada, Japanese ambassador to South Korea, the ministry said.
"Our (South Korean) fishing operations in waters around the Southern Kuril Islands are consistent with international law and international standards -- and is solely a fishing issue not to be linked to territorial disputes between Japan and Russia," Han was quoted as telling the Japanese envoy.
Han also demanded that the Japanese government retract its earlier decision and allow South Korean fishing boats to fish in waters off the Sanriku region.