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| Marines participate in an exercise on Dokdo, a pair of rocky islets in the East Sea, Sunday. The Republic of Korea Navy said the same day that it had begun "territory defense training for the East Sea," a two-day exercise to defend South Korean territory. Seoul began the exercise three days after it withdrew from a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. Yonhap |
Trump says we will see 'what happens' with regard to Seoul's decision on GSOMIA
By Park Ji-won
South Korea began its largest-ever defense exercise on the Dokdo Islets, Sunday, amid escalating tensions with Japan over trade and historical issues.
The Republic of Korea Navy said it had begun "territory defense training for the East Sea," a two-day exercise to defend South Korean territories in the East Sea, including Dokdo. The exercise is unprecedented in terms of size, involving warships, aircraft and troops from the Army, Marine Corps and Navy ― the Aegis destroyer SeJong the Great is also taking part for the first time.
The exercise comes three days after Seoul withdrew from a military intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan in an escalating tit-for-tat battle between the two countries. Japan has decided to remove Seoul from its whitelist of trusted trading partners Aug. 2 in an apparent protest of South Korea's Supreme Court rulings ordering Japanese companies to compensate Koreans forced to work for them without pay during wartime.
In response, South Korea announced it would remove Japan from its whitelist of trusted countries.
The drills on Dokdo have been held twice a year since 1986 and are aimed to better defending against possible incursions near the islets. But the government had postponed the exercise amid the escalating row with Japan over trade and historical issues. Dokdo ― which Tokyo has frequently made territorial claims to ― has been controlled by South Korea since its liberation from Japan.
Some analysts said the exercises were aimed to show the South's determination not to back down in the confrontation.
"The government is trying to show its determination that it is not an option to give up the fight with Japan while trying not to send the wrong message to Tokyo," said Kim Dong-yub, director of research at Kyungnam University's Institute for Far Eastern Studies.
However, regarding the withdrawal from the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), he added that the government should pay extra attention to handling its aftermath as it is highly possible that it would affect the alliance with the U.S. When asked about the GSOMIA, President Donald Trump, said that he would see "what happens."
"I think the government should have post-withdrawal plans, and it needs to ensure that the move will not negatively influence U.S. strategy in Northeast Asia. There are worries that the withdrawal will affect the alliance between Seoul and Washington, including cost-sharing negotiations and the South's dispatch of forces to the Strait of Hormuz."
Meanwhile, some analysts said it was appropriate for the government to resume defense training.
Park Won-gon, a professor of international politics at Handong Global University said, "The exercise is for territory defense training in the East Sea and is appropriate in not only dealing with Japan, but also protecting more expanded areas beyond Dokdo as Russia violated the South's airspace earlier."
However, expressing worries that the expanded drills may give Japan justification for its decision to remove the South from its whitelist, he said the government should have a fine-tuned policy with a clear objective as an omni-dimensional approach to pressure Japan will not produce the decision the South wants.
Meanwhile, Japan's Foreign Ministry protested the exercises with the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo and called for them to be stopped, calling them "unacceptable and very regrettable."
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