Japan and South Korea are planning to link their radars via a U.S. system, providing Tokyo with real-time data in a move that would improve its detection capabilities as nuclear-armed North Korea continues to fire off missiles at an unprecedented clip.
The looming agreement, which was first reported Tuesday by the Yomiuri Shimbun daily, would see radar and command-and-control systems used by the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces in Japan connected to the South Korean military and American forces there via the Hawaii-based U.S. Indo-Pacific Command. Doing so would bypass the thorny issue of two nonallied countries — Japan and South Korea — sharing delicate information instantly, since they would be doing it via their mutual ally, the U.S.
The three countries are also working on launching a consultation group for sharing missile warning data in real time, South Korea's Yonhap news agency reported the same day, quoting a presidential official.