S.Korea, Japan to sign first military pact

[Holmes]

S.Korea, Japan to sign first military pact
Posted: 27 June 2012 1309 hrs

SEOUL: South Korea will soon sign a military agreement with Japan for the first time since Tokyo's brutal colonial rule ended in 1945, a report said Wednesday.

The pact -- named the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) -- calls for the two countries to exchange intelligence about North Korea and its nuclear and missile programmes, Yonhap news agency said.

It cited a government source for its information. A foreign ministry spokesman declined to comment.

Citing lingering anti-Japan hostility, South Korea last month suspended the signing of the agreement and of another military accord on sharing logistics excluding weapons and cooperating in peacekeeping operations abroad.

Seoul has decided to go ahead with the intelligence agreement while shelving the more sensitive logistics accord, which could allow Japan's troops to enter the South's territory in times of crisis, the report said.

"The two governments will officially sign the deal as early as this week, or sometime next week at the latest," the source told Yonhap, adding that Seoul's cabinet approved the move Tuesday.

"Japan has a lot of intelligence on North Korea and the GSOMIA with Japan will benefit us a lot."

The South had postponed discussion on the intelligence-sharing deal given its territorial dispute with Japan, the source said. The two countries are in contention over ownership of rocky islets in the Sea of Japan (East Sea).

But North Korea's long-range missile launch in April highlighted the need to swap information, Yonhap quoted an unidentified Seoul official as saying.

S.Korea, Japan to sign first military pact - Channel NewsAsia

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

well. it seems china's threatening policies is bringing neighbouring countrries together, even though they had shared a brutal past history...

 

[beijingwalker]

how come I only see the mentioning of N.Korea,but not China?

 

[Rusty]

Japan and South Korea playing nice?
Que the crazies on both sides protesting.

Hopefully this time no one will cut off their fingers and monks wont self immolate.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

how come I only see the mentioning of N.Korea,but not China?

U see S korea alone is enough to stand N Korea...
And for Japan , both N and S korea are easy cakewalk for them !! This only makes sense..

 

[Fanling Monk]

how come I only see the mentioning of N.Korea,but not China?

See? they always start the 'flame baiting' and then blame everything on us. Simply childish games.

 

[beijingwalker]

simply dont see China anywhere in this article..

 

[KRAIT]

Nations ganging up against one emerging super power. Our generation might be lucky or unlucky to see one of the defining era of history, just like our previous generation did.

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

simply dont see China anywhere in this article..

mate do u honestly think, they will declare in a pomprous media party "We have formed a alliance against China?"
N korea have become like a excuse for both group of nations to beef up the feud and china's late policies on claiming of Islands based on history isnt helping anyone in maintaining peace...

 

[beijingwalker]

mate do u honestly think, they will declare in a pomprous media party "We have formed a alliance against China?"
N korea have become like a excuse for both group of nations to beef up the feud and china's late policies on claiming of Islands based on history isnt helping anyone in maintaining peace...

since they only mentioned N.Korea,do you think it is your Indian PDF users job to correct them by pointing fingers at China?what's your problem here?

 

[Rajaraja Chola]

since they only mentioned N.Korea,do you think it is your Indian PDF users job to correct them by pointing fingers at China?what's your problem here?

I am quoting my opinion.. I am not dragging all other indians members opinion here... Its my opinion alone... I am responsible for what i say !!

 

[shiv]

Nothing unifies two countries like a common enemy..

 

[Korean]

Tensions Derail Japan-Korea Pact - WSJ.com

Tensions Derail Japan-Korea Pact

By EVAN RAMSTAD in Seoul And YUKA HAYASHI in Tokyo

Seoul deferred plans Friday to sign a modest military cooperation pact in Tokyo after news of the accord sparked a flood of domestic criticism, a sudden move that shows how historical tensions between South Korea and Japan continue to hamper efforts at improving relations.

The agreement, which is designed to make it easier for the two counties to exchange military information, would have little practical effect. But it has been touted by proponents as step toward normalization of relations between America's two largest Asian allies—and blasted by critics as papering over resentment of Japan's 35-year occupation of Korea that began a century ago.

Less than an hour before diplomats were scheduled to sign the agreement in Tokyo, officials in Seoul asked the Japanese government to suspend the ceremony so they could take more time to explain it to Korean lawmakers and the public.

The development of the agreement, however, has been widely discussed in the South Korean media in recent months. Indeed, the two countries had originally planned to sign the pact in May during a scheduled visit to Tokyo by Korean defense minister. The visit was canceled after Korean opposition politicians demanded the government explain the pact at parliament.

The Japan-born Pro-Japan President gave in after a media and public backlash, now says he will seek a parliamentary approval before signing, with all the military folks lobbying the parliament to explain why they need this deal.

In Korea, the most democratic country in Asia, the elected officials fear voter backlash(That's what a democracy is supposed to be, politicians fearing voters) can stop a government policy, even if that policy is considered critical and necessary.

 

[kalu_miah]

Japan, Korea and ASEAN getting together is still premature. The US has to loose its shine a bit more then things will start falling into place, in another 5-10 years. It is also to China's benefit, because it will mean that the US will retreat to Australia and maintain a presence there. China can use this ganging up to kick US out of Asia, if it is skillful about it and keep this new union more friendly towards itself than India or USA.

 

[Korean]

It is also to China's benefit, because it will mean that the US will retreat to Australia and maintain a presence there.

The US is not leaving Japan and Korea, and the US will have access to a chain of bases stretching from Jeju Islands to Okinawa, Subic Bay in Philippines, Singapore, and all the way to Vietnam. China has nothing comparable.

China can use this ganging up to kick US out of Asia

What "ganging up"? China stands alone; it has no ally other than Pakistan, but there is too much gap between China to Sri Lanka to Pakistan to oppose the US containment.

Not to mention that the US can count on having allied forces of four other developed nations, Korea, Japan, Australia, and Singapore to the battle field, while China itself is a 3rd world country and has no developed ally with it.

since they only mentioned N.Korea

They don't need an alliance to handle North Korea.

North Korea is a code word for China, just like how "North Koreans" in the movie Red Dawn are code word for Chinese.