By This is a good way to start military cooperation between the two countries; it will be interesting to see what the Korean public’s reaction to this will be if such an agreement is signed:
The government plans to pursue a military agreement that ensures reciprocal provision of supplies and services between the Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military when conducting international cooperative activities, sources said Monday.
Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa is expected to convey the plan for the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement to his South Korean counterpart Kim Kwan Jin when he visits next Monday.
Kitazawa is also expected to confirm the need to accelerate bilateral talks to conclude the General Security of Military Information Agreement, the sources said.
Tokyo has acknowledged a growing need to strengthen military cooperation with South Korea, given the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula. North Korea shelled the South’s Yeonpyeong Island near the tense western sea border in November, killing two soldiers and two civilians.
South Korean defense authorities are positive about the Japanese proposal, but diplomatic officials are generally reluctant, given the hostilities lingering from Japan’s annexation of Korea in the early 1900s, making it uncertain if talks will proceed smoothly, the sources said. [Japan Times]
10:39 pm on January 5th, 2011 1
I understand the historical context between these countries but Korea would be crazy to turn down this proposal. In any attack, the ROK would receive the blunt of it. Why not have a friend nearby to help? I dont see any problems unless the supplies are tainted with American beef.
1:08 am on January 6th, 2011 2
I can see them start with some combined exercises for things like anti-sub patrols in the East Sea/Sea of Japan. Ooops. I guess they will need to get some terminology worked out. Map sharing may be an issue.
There are other awkward procedural things they may have to work out. Seeing how a very large portion of the Koreans in Japan are North Korean loyalists, if conflict broke out, what would Japan do with them? Put them in internment camps? Would South Koreans have a problem with that?
Devil in the details.
11:32 am on January 6th, 2011 3
This is a very interesting and expected development. With China becoming more belligerent and growing their military it behooves the Democratic East Asian powers to align themselves, both economically and politically.