It had the look of a typical public relations photo — Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Moon Jae-in chatting side-by-side on a sofa during a short meeting in Bangkok.

But the handout photo, taken on the sidelines of an ASEAN meeting on Nov. 4, has become yet another source of controversy in the ongoing quarrel between Tokyo and Seoul.

Japanese officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, have claimed the photo was taken by South Korean officials and released to the media without Tokyo's consent.