SEOUL – South Korean Minister of National Defense Jeong Kyeong-doo called Monday for the country’s military information-sharing pact with Japan to be kept alive.
At a meeting of the National Assembly, Jeong said his ministry’s position is that the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan must be maintained if it contributes to South Korea’s national security, even if only slightly.
In August, the administration of President Moon Jae-in decided to scrap the pact despite opposition from the Ministry of National Defense and notified Japan of the decision. The pact is set to expire later this month.
The United States, which views the pact as a symbol of its security cooperation with its two East Asian allies, has been calling on Seoul not to withdraw from the agreement.
At the parliamentary meeting, Jeong said that the GSOMIA issue needs to be resolved along with other bilateral problems, including Japan’s tightened controls on exports to South Korea.