[Yonhap News Photo]
South Korea's cabinet approved an information-sharing military accord between Seoul and Tokyo Tuesday to cope jointly with North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, in disregard of an opposition warning to push for the dismissal of the country's defense chief.
South Korea's scandal-stricken President Park Geun-hye has vowed to carry out her duty as chief executive, resisting popular demands for her resignation to take responsibility for a corruption scandal involving her longtime friend. Park, however, was absent at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, which was chaired by Finance Minister Yoo Il-ho.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement would take effect after South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Japanese ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine signed it on Wednesday.
The rare military pact comes as ties between Seoul and Tokyo remain soured by territorial and historical disputes. Many South Koreans still harbor deep resentment against Japan over its 1910-45 colonial rule, and Seoul wants Tokyo to make a sincere apology and make amends for past wrongdoings.
Previously, Seoul and Tokyo have received North Korea-related information each from Washington, which has tried to establish a trilateral security network in Northeast Asia.
South Korean opposition parties insisted the pact could escalate tension in and around the Korean peninsula, expressing concern about the militaristic tone of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The defense ministry has said the pact would help Seoul and Tokyo share extensive military information on North Korea. Han said earlier that Seoul would gain intelligence collected by Japan's surveillance satellites and Aegis-equipped destroyers.
Opposition groups have threatened to seek Han's dismissal in a parliamentary vote on November 30. They have a majority of seats in the 300-member National Assembly.
Aju News Lim Chang-won = cwlim34@ajunews.com
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
