South Korea will not oppose Japan's deployment of Aegis destroyers to waters near the Yellow Sea, a South Korean newspaper reported Monday, citing a high-ranking official at the South Korean president's office.
The official, cited by the Chosun Ilbo, said the South Korean government believes guaranteeing navigational freedom on the high seas near the Yellow Sea, known to Koreans as the West Sea, coincides with South Korea's security interests.
Instability in North Korea since the death of leader Kim Jong Il has led to greater awareness in South Korea of the need to bolster military cooperation with the United States and Japan.
The U.S. has been urging South Korea for years to boost military ties with Japan, and Seoul expects stronger ties with Tokyo would help intelligence-gathering on North Korea.
"Japan has twice as many Aegis destroyers as we do," the report said. "The intelligence data they gather from the West Sea could be of great use."