Seoul resumes talks on military deal with japan

By Alex Jensen

SEOUL (AA) – Seoul and Tokyo revived efforts to sign a pact aimed at sharing military intelligence Tuesday, as South Koreans appeared to be distracted by an unrelated domestic scandal.

A 2012 attempt to conclude the proposed General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan ended in failure due to widespread opposition in the South, where there is a popular perception that Tokyo has refused to properly atone for abuses committed during its 1910-45 colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula.

With North Korea's nuclear and missile tests escalating this year, momentum has shifted back in favor of a deal that would bring greater cohesion to the deterrence presented by South Korea, Japan and their common ally the United States.

At a time when thousands of South Korean citizens have been calling for the resignation of President Park Geun-hye over a furor surrounding an unofficial confidante, Seoul's defense ministry confirmed Tuesday's working-level meeting in the Japanese capital.

"The two sides resumed talks based on the terms they tentatively agreed to in 2012 and discussed a wide range of issues such as future meeting schedules and agendas," the ministry stated.

A follow-up is yet to be announced, but the reported goal is to wrap up the GSOMIA within weeks.

South Korea already has such agreements with more than 30 countries.