S. Korea May Review Military Info Pact with Japan: Official

Seoul, July 18 (Jiji Press)--Chung Eui-yong, chief of the National Security Office at the office of South Korean President Moon Jae-in, on Thursday mentioned the possibility of the country reviewing the general security of military information agreement, or GSOMIA, with Japan. Seoul now holds a position to maintain the agreement, but may possibly reexamine it depending on the situation, Chung said at a meeting of ruling and opposition party officials. The remarks came apparently in view of possible additional measures by Japan after country introduced tighter controls on semiconductor materials exports to South Korea earlier this month. A spokesman at the presidential office revealed Chung's remarks. The GSOMIA, which enables Japan and South Korea to share defense secrets, was concluded in November 2016 under the administration of former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. The one-year agreement is renewed automatically every year unless either of the two countries informs the other of an intention to scrap it before Aug. 24, or 90 days before the expiration date. The JoongAng Ilbo, a South Korean daily, reported on Tuesday that a U.S. government official asked a South Korean official who visited the United States to prevent the bilateral GSOMIA from being affected by the Japan-South Korea tensions. END