Park Ji-won is a writer for The Korea Times who has been covering a wide range of topics from Korea’s culture to its politics. An avid journalism enthusiast to the core, Ji-won brings a thoughtful and unique perspective to every topic she covers. On weekends, you'll often find her contemplating life’s purpose on a yoga mat — with a cup of quality tea in hand. A native Korean speaker by birth and fluent in English through her work, she went to college in Japan and is learning Chinese and French — hoping to add Polish, Russian and Thai to the mix.
Moon's olive branch to Japan raises hope on GSOMIA extension
President Moon Jae-in delivers a speech during a ceremony to mark the 74th anniversary of Korea's liberation from Japanese colonial rule, at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, Thursday. AP-Yonhap
By Park Ji-won
Top diplomats of Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing to hold talks
By Park Ji-won
President Moon Jae-in's move to offer an olive branch to Japan prompted expectations on the extension of a bilateral military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid an escalating power game between the neighboring countries.
Stressing that Seoul and Tokyo have continued to engage in security and economic cooperation with Japan, Moon said Thursday, “Better late than never: if Japan chooses the path of dialogue and cooperation, we will gladly join hands. We will strive with Japan to create an East Asia that engages in fair trade and cooperation.”
Moon's remarks at the Independence Hall of Korea in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, during the 74th Liberation Day celebration, came eight days before the deadline to notify Japan on whether to extend the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA). The pact is a symbol of trilateral security cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the United States in the region against North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, amid a series of North Korea's launches of alleged new types of short-range missiles in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Friday that the foreign ministers of South Korea, China and Japan will meet in Beijing from Tuesday to Thursday for a trilateral meeting. The ministry said South Korea is discussing with Japan and China to arrange bilateral talks on the sidelines.
The trilateral meeting ― and South Korea's possible talks with Japan if realized ― will be held days before the deadline of the extension of the GSOMIA on Aug. 24. Tokyo's implementation of removing South Korea from its “whitelist” of preferential trade partners will take effect Aug. 28.
The relations between Seoul and Tokyo have shown no signs of improving after the latter decided to remove South Korea from its whitelist. Among many, Japan's move was considered an apparent effort to protest the Korean Supreme Court's ruling ordering Japanese firms to compensate surviving South Korean victims of wartime forced labor.
In response to Japan's move, the ruling bloc, including National Security Office (NSO) chief Chung Eui-yong and Kim Hyun-chong, deputy chief of Cheong Wa Dae's National Security Office, raised the possibility of discarding the information accord while opposition parties criticize the idea as it weakens the security alliance.
President Moon's speech, less critical than his remarks in the past against Japan, was made when Cheong Wa Dae is looking for a diplomatic ways to resolve the ongoing conflicts with Japan, Kim Hyung-joon, a professor at Myongji University, said during a TV interview on Friday. His recent remarks may have been a possible move to resume dialogue with Japan.
Expectations grew over the extension of the pact as Moon extended his wish of having talks with Japan before it expires following the U.S.' alleged request not to cancel it.
U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper, who met with President Moon Jae-in and his counterpart Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo last week in Seoul, reportedly asked Seoul to extend the GSOMIA claiming it contributes to the security cooperation between Seoul, Tokyo and Washington.
According to diplomatic sources, the government's working-level officials have reviewed the consequences for the abolition of the information pact waiting for a final decision from the presidential office.
Meanwhile, Japan continued to express wishes to maintain the agreement.
Regarding Moon's speech, Japan's Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya reportedly said Thursday it is desirable to stay in the relationship. By extending the GSOMIA they can continue to share information. He also said security cooperation is necessary between South Korea and Japan and the two and the U.S.
Earlier, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, Japan's top government spokesman, also indicated last month that his government wants to maintain the agreement in terms of boosting bilateral security cooperation and contributing to regional peace and stability.
The pact, signed in November 2016, allows Seoul and Tokyo to share sensitive information regarding North Korea's activities. It is renewed automatically every August if neither side expresses intent to rescind the accord 90 days in advance. It has been known that the South has better capability to gather human intelligence about the North while Japan has better knowledge in signals intelligence.
South Korean protesters hold a board urging the government to cancel the General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, an intelligence-sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan during a rally opposing U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper's visit, in front of the Defense Ministry in Seoul, Aug. 9. AP-Yonhap