Japan deploys ships, seaplanes near Korean Peninsula

Following a request from the U.S. military in December to the Japanese government, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force (MSDF) has deployed its ships and seaplanes in waters near the Northern Limit Line (NLL) in the Korean Peninsula in an attempt to thwart North Korea from evading United Nations (UN) sanctions and to keep a close control on foreign ships transferring oil to North Korea. The MSDF has also sent its ships and surveillance seaplanes as far as the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan, for daily patrolling of suspicious ships coming near the Korean peninsula.