Controversy rises over GSOMIA amid radar spat

The capture shows South Korea's Gwanggaeto the Great ship that is shown in a video released by Japan's defense ministry last month. Korea Times file

By Kim Bo-eun

A dispute is developing over a military agreement between South Korea and Japan on sharing information, as it is proving to be useless in a radar row between the countries, where exchange of radar frequency data is necessary.

The conflict began after Japan claimed a South Korean naval destroyer targeted its patrol plane with a fire-control radar on Dec. 20.

South Korean authorities denied this, stating the ship, the Gwanggaeto the Great, was conducting a rescue operation for a North Korean ship that had been drifting into international waters of the East Sea.

However, Japan's defense ministry released footage of its P-1 patrol aircraft which contained a recording of the plane's operator's remarks at the time. However, Seoul has claimed this cannot serve as evidence, and requested radar frequency data from Japan, which the latter has been refusing stating this is confidential information.

Last week, military officials of Seoul and Tokyo met in Singapore to discuss the matter but only ended up confirming their differences. Japanese officials, while refusing to provide its radar frequency data, instead requested the entire radar frequency data of the Gwanggaeto the Great ship, prompting South Korea's defense ministry to denounce its response.

South Korea and Japan signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) in November 2016 to share more military information. The deal enabled the countries to directly share military secrets that are classified second degree or lower.

“GSOMIA appears useless ― what information would the countries exchange if they cannot even exchange radar frequency data?” Rep. Kim Jong-dae of the National Assembly's national defense committee said on a radio show of the Catholic Peace Broadcasting Corporation, Thursday. “If radar frequency data is not shared, joint operations at a time of war is impossible.”

Kim, who is also a seasoned defense analyst, earlier stated citing unofficial talks with high-level officials of Japan's Self-Defense Forces that Tokyo may terminate the GOSOMIA if the conflict continues. He claims South Korea did not receive much information from Japan under the deal.

Under the deal, South Korea was to receive information from Japan on North Korea's missile activities. However, as a process to denuclearize North Korea and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula began last year, there has not been much information to share on the North's missile activities, according to the defense ministry.

The defense ministry did not immediately respond to requests for comments about whether the GSOMIA would provide grounds for Japan to provide its radar frequency data.

The governments renew the GSOMIA every year. If there are no notifications of other intentions three months before the date the agreement is renewed in November, it is automatically renewed.