Defense ministry hit for changing words

Minister under fire for inconsistent explanation about talks with Japan

By Jun Ji-hye

Defense Minister Han Min-koo

The Ministry of National Defense is being criticized for continuing to change its words whenever it has gotten in trouble due to the sensitive remarks made by Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani.

A day after the talks between Seoul’s Defense Minister Han Min-koo and his Japanese counterpart, it was known that Nakatani indicated during the meeting on Tuesday that Japan views the valid scope of the Republic of Korea's governing area as south of the Military Demarcation Line.

The remark was considered very sensitive here as it indicated that that Japan could begin military operations in North Korea without consent from Seoul in the event of another war on the Korean Peninsula.

The reason why such a sensitive remark was belatedly known in South Korea was that the ministry did not disclose it immediately after the talks.

On the other hand, Japan’s Defense Ministry told reporters in that country about the remark right after the talks, which was subsequently reported.

Until Tuesday night, the ministry insisted Nakatani did not make such a remark although the Japanese media reported he had done so.

But on Wednesday morning, the ministry acknowledged that the Japanese minister made such a remark.

In explaining why it did not initially disclose the remark while its Japanese counterpart did, a ministry official said, “The two sides agreed not to disclose it to the media during the talks.”

He said the two agreed to only tell the media that a trilateral meeting including the United States will address the issue related to Japan’s possible military activities on the North. He argued that Japan broke the agreement between the two, which led to criticism that Tokyo did not fully respect Seoul.

However, Nakatani told Japanese reporters after a luncheon meeting with Han Thursday that he did not agree with Han to keep the remark confidential.

He said, “Han did not make a complaint about opening the remark to the public either during a luncheon.”

Then, the ministry changed its story once again. It said the two sides did not agree to keeps the remark from the media, but it did agree to disclose only a part of the remarks.

Critics said the ministry employed sophistry.

The ministry is also being slammed for incompetence as it failed to sufficiently report its view about Tokyo’s military role on the Korean Peninsula.

The joint press release, issued soon after the talks, appeared to contain Tokyo’s position only, while Seoul’s stance was ambiguously stated.

The release stated Japan would seek approval from countries in accordance with international laws before sending its Self-Defense Forces (SDF) to their territories, a position Tokyo has constantly expressed.

But the release did not include Seoul’s position that South Korean territory also includes North Korea, according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, so Japan also needs to seek consent from Seoul before conducting any military operations in the North.

The release only contained Minister Han responding, “Japan’s activities should be conducted in a way to contribute to peace and stability in the Northeast Asian region including the Korean Peninsula.”

The bilateral meeting came as Tokyo has constantly expressed its hope to explain the passage of a set of controversial security bills, which allow the SDF to assist other countries in armed conflict in the name of the right to collective self-defense ― the use of force to support an ally under attack.

The passage raised concerns and public resistance here about Tokyo’s move to expand its military role, which stems from the bitter memory of Japan’s 1910-1945 colonial rule and the country's wrongdoings, including the Japanese soldiers’ use of Korean sex slaves during the war.

Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye