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| Presidential National Security Office chief Chung Eui-yong, right, is seen with the office's second deputy Kim Hyun-chong on the occasion of the South Korea-Brunei summit at Cheong Wa Dae, Sunday morning. Yonhap |
By Kim Yoo-chul
A senior presidential aide strongly criticized recent comments by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe regarding South Korea's decision to temporarily put off the expiration of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
"Cheong Wa Dae is very sorry about Japanese media reports which quoted Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in which he reportedly said Tokyo made no concessions regarding Seoul's decision for conditional extension of the GSOMIA. If these reports are true, then he should not have said that as the Japanese leader," Chung Eui-yong, chief of the presidential National Security Office, told reporters at the BEXCO Convention Center in Busan.
Chung alleged senior Japanese government officials made a "foul play" in intentionally leaking the agreed statements regarding GSOMIA and Seoul's decision to temporarily halt its complaint over Japanese export restrictions at the WTO. "Seoul and Tokyo agreed to announce the decisions at 6 p.m., Friday. But Japan announced them seven and eight minutes after Seoul's announcements. We don't know for sure what intentions were behind the late announcements by Japan."
The aide added South Korea officially filed its protest over Abe's remarks via diplomatic channels and received an official apology from the Japanese government. Japan's Asahi Shumbun daily reported that South Korea made the decision regarding the GSOMIA due to strong pressure by the United States.
Yoichi lida, director-general of Japan's trade ministry, said in a news conference in Japan that Tokyo hasn't changed its position on the trade restrictions taken against South Korea. In July Japan tightened procedures for exporting three materials crucial to fabricating semiconductors bound for South Korea. The following month, it removed Korea from its whitelist of preferred trading partners.
"When we see some of the announcements and actions by Japan taken right after South Korea's decision to conditionally extend the GSOMIA, we have no options but to offer huge regrets. Japan said South Korea promised to stop all WTO dispute settlement procedures regarding Tokyo's July trade restrictions. That's simply untrue as Tokyo suggested Seoul to review the WTO settlement process after Seoul's earlier decision to terminate the GSOMIA," Chung said.
The NSO chief said Japan unilaterally announced its trade restrictions against South Korea on July 1, the day after a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and President Moon Jae-in in which they agreed to resolve the Seoul-Tokyo friction via dialogue.
"What concerns me is top Japanese government officials were trying to justify their own assertions regarding bilateral issues without facts. They said Washington pressured Seoul to extend the GSOMIA and Korea's latest decision regarding the fate of GSOMIA is a victory of Japanese diplomacy. These are against mutual trust in terms of diplomatic negotiations. Let me just be clear. All decisions regarding the GSOMIA and WTO are conditional. It's up to Japan whether or not we see progress in the next level of developments," Chung said.
