Though tensions remain high between Japan and South Korea over territorial and historical issues, the safety of maritime transportation must be maintained irrespective of diplomatic relations, according to a Japan Coast Guard official who monitors maritime communications in the Tsushima Strait.

In the strait separating southwest Japan and South Korea, a Hong Kong-registered tanker carrying 30,000 tons of chemicals collided with a large Bahamian freight ship in Korean territory on Dec. 29 and burst into flames.

The 7th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters in Kitakyushu received reports on the collision and immediately contacted its South Korean counterpart, which dispatched a ship and helicopter to rescue the crew of the tanker.