Japan lodged an official protest Thursday with Moscow and Seoul after South Korean boats started fishing for saury around Russian-held islands off Hokkaido that are claimed by Japan.
Senior Vice Foreign Minister Shigeo Uetake protested South Korea's fishing in the area, under a Russian-South Korean fishery accord, in separate meetings with Vassili Dobrovolsky, Russian charge d'affaires to Japan, and South Korean Ambassador Choi Sang Yong, Foreign Ministry officials said.
Russian Ambassador Alexander Panov is on vacation.