Security Deal with Little Luck

The governments of Japan and Republic of Korea signed an agreement for sharing military information to deal with threat from northern part of Korean Peninsula, or General Security of Military Information Agreement, on Wednesday. In the midst of turmoil of Park Geun-hye administration with unprecedentedly major scandal, Japanese Ambassador to South Korea, Yasumasa Nagamine, and South Korean Minister of National Defense, Han Min-goo, signed in an undisclosed meeting in Seoul. Japanese government expect the deal to work for enhancing Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s political agenda to expand military role of Self-defense Force.

Both governments made an attempt to sign it four years ago, when then-President Lee Myung-bak failed in persuading South Korean public and cancelled the concluding ceremony hours before it. Reminding of colonization by Japanese Imperial Army in World War II, the people in South Korea worried about advance of Japanese military into information network of their own country.

While both government and United States agreed on sharing information on nuclear and missile development of North Korea in 2014, Japan and R.O.K. could not share it because of absence of GSOMIA. “The agreement is very important in the time that cooperation between Japan and South Korea is getting important, when the issue of nuclear and missile of North Korea is a threat on different dimension,” told Japanese Foreign Minister, Fumio Kishida. R.O.K. Ministry of National Defense announced that they would be able to share information obtained by Japan without detouring U.S., to enhance their ability of reconnaissance and to deter intimidation of North Korea with nuclear and missile.

With GSOMIA, Japan can expect sharing information on actual operation of U.S. and South Korea in a contingency in Korean Peninsula. If the people in the peninsula became refugees in a military confusion, Japanese government supposes that they need to do something with R.O.K. and U.S. government. New security legislature under Abe administration assumes that JSDF is going to rescue Japanese citizens in Korean Peninsula, when a contingency occurs. GSOMIA is expected to work for justification of new security legislation.

People in South Korea are still feeling uneasy. They are firmly opposing an operation that JSDF will be landing the peninsula. Leaking of important information from North Korean deserters is another concern for R.O.K. government. But, President Park led the deal for enhancing national security in a situation unnecessary for taking care of supporting rate for her, which was uncontrollably low. It was a little luck for Abe administration.