GPS News
SUPERPOWERS
Seoul tells Tokyo it will 'normalise' military pact
Seoul tells Tokyo it will 'normalise' military pact
by AFP Staff Writers
Seoul (AFP) March 21, 2023

South Korea confirmed Tuesday it had moved to normalise a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, as the two countries thaw ties in the face of growing threats from Pyongyang.

The decision by Seoul's Foreign Ministry follows a summit between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Tokyo last week.

During the first top-level bilateral meeting in 12 years, the two sides agreed to mend fences over historical disputes stemming from Japan's 35-year colonial rule of the Korean peninsula.

Yoon also reportedly told Kishida he wanted a "complete normalisation" of a 2016 military agreement called the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).

The agreement aims to allow the two US allies to share military secrets, particularly over North Korea's nuclear and missile capacity, but Seoul threatened to tear it up in 2019 as relations with Tokyo soured.

Seoul "notified Japan via a written document" of its decision to normalise the military pact, its foreign ministry said in a statement Tuesday, in a move that had been reported over the weekend.

This has "laid the groundwork for strengthened military intelligence sharing between South Korea-Japan and among South Korea-Japan-the United States by removing uncertainties", it added.

Yoon is seeking to boost ties with Tokyo, citing security challenges on the peninsula, despite strong domestic opposition, including from victims of Japanese forced labour.

He dismissed criticism as "political" Tuesday, telling a cabinet meeting that Tokyo has "expressed remorse and apology for historical issues on dozens of occasions".

Seoul's 2019 threat to scrap the GSOMIA came as relations with Tokyo hit a new low over trade disputes and the row over forced labour.

After opposition from America, South Korea kept the deal in place, but experts say its practical application was thought to have been limited by strained relations between the two countries.

Confronted with Pyongyang's growing aggression and flurry of missile tests, the neighbours have increasingly sought to bury the hatchet.

Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com

Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters
Tweet

RELATED CONTENT
The following news reports may link to other Space Media Network websites.
SUPERPOWERS
Key dates in China-Russia relations
Paris (AFP) March 19, 2023
China and Russia had turbulent relations during the Cold War, but over the past decades the two neighbours have pooled forces against the United States and developed economic cooperation. As President Xi Jinping heads to Moscow next week, here are key dates in relations between the two countries since 1950. - 1950: Korea war - In the aftermath of World War II, China and the Soviet Union in February 1950 sign a friendship, alliance and mutual assistance treaty. During the 1950-1953 war o ... read more

SUPERPOWERS
How do we make farming better for the planet? Ask women

California's desert farmers defend their river rights

NOAA spring report says drought conditions will improve, thanks to recent floods, heavy snow

Biochar offers new promise for climate-smart agriculture

SUPERPOWERS
Researchers create breakthrough spintronics manufacturing process that could revolutionize the electronics industry

Chip war and censorship hobble Chinese tech giants in chatbot race

Brain cells inspire new computer components

Customizing catalysts for solid-state reactions

SUPERPOWERS
Ex-US Marine accused of helping China was lured to Australia: lawyer

Slovakia to donate 13 MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine

US calls on Russia to operate military aircraft safely

Poland and Slovakia to transfer MiG-29 planes to Ukraine; W.House still opposes move

SUPERPOWERS
Minimizing electric vehicles' impact on the grid

Porsche backs synthetic option in EU fossil fuels row

VW joins e-car price war as global rivalry heats up

Germany angers EU after putting brakes on fossil fuel car ban

SUPERPOWERS
Japanese PM in India with an eye on trade, China

Asia tracks Wall St rally as Fed decision replaces bank worries

US economic leaders looking at China trip: W.House

Markets rebound as bank fears ease, Fed decision in view

SUPERPOWERS
Mountain forests disappearing at alarming rate: study

Russia will 'react' if UK supplies uranium ammo to Kyiv: Putin

Climate-stressed Iraq says will plant 5 million trees

NASA to measure forest health from above

SUPERPOWERS
Leading ozone scientist says more climate surprises likely

Detailed images from space offer clearer picture of drought effects on plants

Intelsat to operate air pollution monitoring space instrument

Record early start again for Tokyo's cherry blossoms

SUPERPOWERS
Subscribe Free To Our Daily Newsletters




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.