Posted June. 28, 2012 01:27,
South Korea and Japan will sign this weekend a military agreement allowing the bilateral exchange of key military intelligence. Seoul approved this plan at a Cabinet meeting Tuesday but kept it secret, which is expected to lead to criticism from politicians and the public.
An official at the Foreign Affairs and Trade Ministry in Seoul said Wednesday, "The Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan was passed at a Cabinet meeting yesterday and domestic procedures are in the final stages. The agreement will be signed as early as this weekend."
Japan will hold a cabinet council meeting Friday and the agreement will be signed after Tokyo finalizes domestic procedures.
The official added, "The signing of the agreement will help form a system by which Korea can take advantage of Japan`s intelligence while expanding bilateral ties for Northeast Asian security. This will help us guard against North Korea`s threats, terrorism and natural disasters."
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin planned to visit Japan at the end of May and sign the deal, but was delayed due to opposition from South Korean politicians and civic groups. A month later, the Foreign Ministry took over and signed the deal.
Seoul held a briefing on 43 agenda items introduced at the Cabinet meeting, but excluded the deal, fueling criticism that it wanted to keep it secret. "We classified the case as `near confidential` because Japan had yet to finalize procedures," a government official said.
Critics, however, say Seoul has no need to finalize an issue that has yet to undergo domestic due process in Tokyo. Others question why South Korea pushed ahead with the deal after the U.S. urged prompt signing of a similar deal at a bilateral defense ministers` meeting in Washington in mid May.