 South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin, left, and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa, shake hands before holding talks to bolster security ties between the two countries, at the Ministry of National Defense, Seoul, Monday. / Korea Times |
Defense chiefs meet to discuss exchange of info on NK nukes
By Lee Tae-hoon
Top military officials of South Korea and Japan agreed to bolster security ties between their countries Monday, amid a growing call for a regional alliance framework from the United States.
The discussion between Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin and his Japanese counterpart Toshimi Kitazawa took place in Seoul at a time when U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates is holding talks with his Chinese counterpart Liang Guanglie in Beijing to boost bilateral military exchanges.
Defense officials say Kim and Kitazawa reached a consensus on further strengthening military ties between the two neighbors, which still have uneasy relations following Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
“The two defense chiefs shared the need for stronger bilateral military ties for the peace and security of Northeast Asia,” the Ministry of National Defense said in a statement.
The statement also noted that the two military chiefs decided to push for the signing of the first-ever military pact between Seoul and Tokyo.
The two neighboring countries will work on details of two separate agreements that will facilitate the sharing of military information and exchanging military goods and services, it said.
“The two have decided to fine tune details of an Acquisition and a Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), which calls for reciprocal provision of supplies, including food, fuel and necessary components in peace keeping, humanitarian aid and relief operations, as well as in search and rescue drills between the two countries’ navies,” the statement said.
It also added that the two countries will have close consultations in a bid to seek an agreement on the exchange of military information. Such an agreement would allow South Korea and Japan to systematically swap intelligence on North Korea’s nuclear programs and weapons of mass destruction.
During the talks, the two countries also decided to boost exchanges in military training programs and of senior defense officials in line with their efforts to establish a “mature partnership.”
Seoul, however, still remains sensitive about deepening military relations due to lingering bitterness over Japan’s colonial past and a possible backlash from China.
Japan has also been cautious about signing pacts as this may escalate military tensions on the Korean Peninsula and trigger protests from China and North Korea over the nature and intention of its ongoing military buildup.
The Japan Self-Defense Forces have been criticized for pushing the boundaries of self-defense and non-military activities.
Despite this, Washington has been urging its two Asian allies to seek stronger military ties as security threats have grown in the region, following a series of North Korea’s armed provocations and Beijing’s reluctance to denounce Pyongyang.
China, North Korea’s main regional ally, refused to condemn Pyongyang’s sinking of South Korea’s frigate Cheonan on March 26 last year, which took the lives of 46 sailors, and the North’s artillery bombardment of Yeonpyeong Island in the West Sea on Nov. 23 in 2010, which killed four people including two civilians.
On Dec. 8, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, expressed hope that U.S. military exercises with Seoul will include Tokyo’s participation to “cement our unified position on the threat posed by North Korea.”
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