| Japanese Emperor Naruhito, left, and Empress Masako, right, attend a memorial ceremony for the war dead at Nippon Budokan Martial Arts Hall in Tokyo, Thursday, Aug. 15, Emperor Naruhito expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's role in World War II in his first appearance at the annual ceremony marking the end of the hostilities. AP-Yonhap |
Kang, Kono set to meet this week
By Do Je-hae, Kim Yoo-chul
Seoul is "seriously considering" extending a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo as working-level discussions between senior negotiators of the neighboring countries are underway to mend the souring bilateral ties, officials of Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) said, Sunday.
"While it's been true that the South Korean government had planned to walk away from the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) as a countermeasure in response to Japan's decision to ignite an economic-diplomatic war, now is not the time for the leaders in Seoul and Tokyo to take such a step," an official at the presidential office said.
"They are asked to prioritize sharing strategies for key pending issues in Northeast Asia. Seoul is considering extending the military pact. We need logic and conditions before deciding on an exit strategy," the official added.
GSOMIA is a kind of symbol of the countries' security cooperation with their closest ally, the United States. The agreement, which went into effect in November 2016, automatically extends unless Seoul or Tokyo notifies the other of its plan to terminate 90 days prior to the annual renewal date. This year's deadline comes on Aug. 24.
"One possible scenario is Seoul would not accept Japan's assistance in sharing North Korea-related information for a while by retaining the military pact. We will see what happens, but we need updates from the Japanese government over its export curbs. Now, the ball has been passed to the Japanese court. We are seeing top Japanese politicians ask for flexibility," said a DPK lawmaker asking not to be identified.
Cheong Wa Dae said an official decision regarding the extension of the GSOMIA hasn't been made yet.
At his speech marking the 74th Liberation Day, Aug. 15, President Moon Jae-in delivered a conciliatory message toward Japan by saying South Korea is "ready to engage with Japan" about ways to resolve the trade friction. On the same day, Japanese Emperor Naruhito expressed "deep remorse" and "reflection" in his first war anniversary speech since taking the throne after his father Akihito's abdication in May.
Naruhito's remarks were widely seen to be reflecting his intention to carry on his father's stance for upholding peace and healing war wounds.
Foreign ministers of South Korea, Japan and China will meet in Beijing from Aug. 20 to 22. A bilateral meeting between Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha and her Japanese counterpart Taro Kono has been scheduled on the sidelines of their participation in the planned trilateral Beijing encounter, foreign ministry officials in Seoul said.
"It will be the first Korea-Japan-China foreign ministers' meeting since August 2016. We expect the three-nation cooperation system to become stronger and more effective," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
From Washington's perspective, maintaining a strategic alliance between its two Asian allies matters when it comes to dialogue with North Korea and countering China on economic and military fronts.
During a recent meeting with Seoul's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper reportedly requested he extend the GSOMIA, according to another DPK lawmaker who added Esper underlined the GSOMIA as a pinpoint to "Korea-Japan-U.S. security cooperation." Withdrawal from the pact would set back Washington's concerted efforts to link its two main regional alliances by a decade, reducing its ability to handle North Korea and China's growing regional influence.
South Korea plans to start military drills in the country's easternmost islets of Dokdo later this month as planned. "But depending on the situation, the scale of the military exercise could be scaled down to avoid any sharp reaction from Tokyo," a military source said. Japan calls the islets Takeshima, which are under Seoul's control.
It remains to be seen whether a series of upcoming diplomatic occasions, including the Korea-ASEAN summit in late November, will provide an impetus for the two countries to resolve the escalating bilateral tension, critics said.
Cheong Wa Dae sees the Oct. 22 coronation ceremony of the new Japanese emperor as a "critical occasion" for a possible diplomatic breakthrough. It's been told Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon, a seasoned expert in Japan, would be Moon's pick to represent the South Korean government during the event.
The tense conflict between Korea and Japan began in early July when Japan began restricting exports of high-tech materials to Korea, needed for the manufacture of semiconductors. The moves are widely seen as a response to the South Korean Supreme Court's rulings last year ordering Japanese firms to compensate surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor during the 1910-45 Japanese occupation.