Japan not inviting SKorea to naval review amid dispute

Japan has announced it is not inviting South Korea to an upcoming multinational naval review it is hosting next month because their ties are badly strained over history, trade and defense.

The Maritime Self-Defense Force, Japan‘s navy, said Tuesday it will not invite the South Korean navy for the review, scheduled for Oct. 14 at Sagami Bay, west of Tokyo.

The head of the maritime force, Adm. Hiroshi Yamamura, says the decision was made because of the “severe condition of current Japan-South Korea relations.”

Tensions between the two Asian neighbors have escalated since July, when Japan tightened export controls against South Korea.

Defense officials said seven countries — the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, India, Singapore and China — are invited to the naval review.