Relations are strained, South Korea-Japan "Military Intelligence Agreement" is postponed by default
[Global Times Comprehensive Report] South Korea and Japan actually realized the "temporary extension" of the "Military Intelligence Protection Agreement" (GSOMIA) by default. According to South Korea’s "Joongang Daily" report on the 25th, due to Japan's export restrictions on South Korea, the tension between South Korea and Japan has increased, so that the GSOMIA, which was once facing termination, has been "in fact" extended on the 24th. South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated on the 24th that “South Korea does not intend to make any notification to Japan regarding the termination of GSOMIA.”
According to GSOMIA, if Korea and Japan do not specifically notify each other before August 24 each year that they require termination of the agreement, the agreement will be automatically extended for one year. However, after Japan restricted the export of three core materials such as hydrogen fluoride to South Korea in July last year, the South Korean government stated to Japan that "Korea will terminate GSOMIA if the economic retaliation measures are not cancelled."
According to reports, the South Korean government changed its course mainly because of the United States. The United States has made it clear on many occasions that "abandoning the agreement will be seen as a departure from the trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, the United States and Japan." In this case, although the South Korean government has repeatedly stated that it can terminate the agreement at any time, given the strong pressure from the United States, GSOMIA is no longer a bargaining chip that South Korea can use at any time, and Japan is actually aware of this. According to a Korean diplomatic source, there is currently almost no military information exchange between South Korea and Japan through GSOMIA.
The Japanese side expressed "gratefulness" over the automatic extension of GSOMIA. Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono said at a press conference on the 25th that the three countries of the United States, Japan and South Korea believe that cooperation in response to North Korean missiles is very important. Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga also stated on the 24th that GSOMIA will help strengthen the security cooperation and ties between South Korea and Japan and “contribute” to the security and stability of the region. Therefore, he believes that the agreement “necessary to operate stably”. "Nihon Keizai Shimbun" believes that the Moon Jae-in government is busy responding to domestic issues including housing prices and the epidemic, and Japan's priority in South Korea's diplomacy is declining.
South Korea and Japan formally signed the "Military Intelligence Protection Agreement" in Seoul on November 23, 2016. This is also the first military agreement signed by South Korea and Japan since South Korea's recovery in 1945. According to the agreement, South Korea and Japan can directly share military intelligence including North Korea’s nuclear and missile projects. There have always been criticisms in South Korea. They believe that the agreement is nominally sharing information about North Korean missiles. In fact, South Korea, the United States and Japan can share all missile warning information in Northeast Asia at any time. This is to include South Korea in the US-led theater missile defense. system. (Wang Wei)