What is GSOMIA and the effect its annulment will have on S.Korea-Japan relationship
- 5 years ago
지소미아란 무엇인가, 지소미아 파기가 한일 관계에 미칠 영향
While we don't know the full extent of the impact the GSOMIA could have on Seoul and Tokyo's bilateral ties, it would be helpful to learn more about the history and purpose of the pact.
Hong Yoo gets us better acquainted with the intel-sharing agreement.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement, better known as GSOMIA, is the only military agreement made between South Korea and Japan since Korea's liberation from Imperial Japan in 1945.
The agreement was signed on November 2016 after negotiations began in 2011.
The then-defense ministers of both countries, Kim Kwan-jin and Kitazawa Toshimi, brought up the need for the agreement.
Under GSOMIA, South Korea and Japan must share all classified military information on North Korea's nuclear development and missiles that has grade 2 classification or below.
The main purpose of the agreement is to provide information the other side lacks as South Korean radar cannot observe the moment a North Korean missile drops into the East Sea while Japan lacks information about the moment a missile gets launched.
Any information exchanged between the two countries must stay within the two countries.
This year, Seoul and Tokyo exchanged classified military information about North Korea 7 times, starting from May 9th when Pyeongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile KN-23, and most recently on last Friday when Pyeongyang launched a new tactical weapon with similar traits to the U.S. Army's tactical missile system,... known as ATACMS.
Two days ahead of the deadline for the extension decision, South Korea announced it is withdrawing from GSOMIA.
"I think it's politically powerful for South Korean government to tell Japan and the U.S. government how dissatisfied is the Korean government with the Japan's recent move in regard to trade. However whether the withdrawal from GSOMIA has enough leverage so that Japan can change their decision already made, it is very doubtful. But we have to wait and see how this will evolve to change the current situation between Korea and Japan and the trilateral relation between Korea, the U.S., and Japan."
Doctor Woo added that the trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation is not likely to be weakened as South Korea can still share military information related to North Korea with Japan through the U.S. as their respective three-way information sharing agreement remains intact.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.
While we don't know the full extent of the impact the GSOMIA could have on Seoul and Tokyo's bilateral ties, it would be helpful to learn more about the history and purpose of the pact.
Hong Yoo gets us better acquainted with the intel-sharing agreement.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement, better known as GSOMIA, is the only military agreement made between South Korea and Japan since Korea's liberation from Imperial Japan in 1945.
The agreement was signed on November 2016 after negotiations began in 2011.
The then-defense ministers of both countries, Kim Kwan-jin and Kitazawa Toshimi, brought up the need for the agreement.
Under GSOMIA, South Korea and Japan must share all classified military information on North Korea's nuclear development and missiles that has grade 2 classification or below.
The main purpose of the agreement is to provide information the other side lacks as South Korean radar cannot observe the moment a North Korean missile drops into the East Sea while Japan lacks information about the moment a missile gets launched.
Any information exchanged between the two countries must stay within the two countries.
This year, Seoul and Tokyo exchanged classified military information about North Korea 7 times, starting from May 9th when Pyeongyang launched a short-range ballistic missile KN-23, and most recently on last Friday when Pyeongyang launched a new tactical weapon with similar traits to the U.S. Army's tactical missile system,... known as ATACMS.
Two days ahead of the deadline for the extension decision, South Korea announced it is withdrawing from GSOMIA.
"I think it's politically powerful for South Korean government to tell Japan and the U.S. government how dissatisfied is the Korean government with the Japan's recent move in regard to trade. However whether the withdrawal from GSOMIA has enough leverage so that Japan can change their decision already made, it is very doubtful. But we have to wait and see how this will evolve to change the current situation between Korea and Japan and the trilateral relation between Korea, the U.S., and Japan."
Doctor Woo added that the trilateral Seoul-Washington-Tokyo security cooperation is not likely to be weakened as South Korea can still share military information related to North Korea with Japan through the U.S. as their respective three-way information sharing agreement remains intact.
Hong Yoo, Arirang News.