SanamShaikh
Washington has pressured Seoul - Tokyo to maintain an intelligence-sharing agreement, according to South Korean Defense Minister Kyeong-doo.
"The United States has pressed both sides very aggressively, both Korea and Japan, because maintaining trilateral security cooperation is very important," South Korea's Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo said on Thursday. / 11, after meetings with Japanese and American counterparts in the Thai capital Bangkok.
From left to right: South Korean Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo, US Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono Photo: Kyodo
Joeng said the United States is continuing to send messages to Japan and South Korea, urging the two sides to narrow the differences to the extension of the expiring Military Intelligence Information Agreement (GSOMIA). However, he acknowledged there was little sign that the two countries would change their minds.
"There was no satisfactory response from Japanese Defense Minister Taro Kono, although we tried very hard," Jeong said when asked whether Tokyo would make a new offer to GSOMIA.
The information was released by South Korea's Defense Minister after the end of a private meeting with his Japanese counterpart Kono and tripartite talks attended by US Defense Secretary Mark Esper in Bangkok. These negotiations are seen as the last chance for the parties to find a breakthrough solution, when GSOMIA will expire in 6 days.
South Korean presidential spokesman Ko Min-jung previously called the decision to end GSOMIA "inevitable." "If we unilaterally cancel this decision while Japan does not change its export restrictions or the relationship between the two countries does not improve, it will only prove our original decision is not cautious enough." Mr. Ko said.
Japan-South Korea relations are at their lowest level in 50 years, after Tokyo imposed trade restrictions with Seoul. South Korea immediately responded by announcing an end to GSOMIA, raising Washington's concern about the possibility of wobbling relations with the two Asian allies.
The conflict in the relationship between the two countries is said to have stemmed from a Korean court ruling in November 2018 over the use of forced labor in the period 1910-1945, which required Japanese companies. must compensate the victim. However, Japan insisted the problem was solved when the two countries normalized relations in 1965 and provided US $ 500 million in aid to Korea.
