South Korea and Japan Need to End Their Dangerous Feud
Seoul’s decision to scrap a military intelligence-sharing agreement will make both countries — as well as the U.S. — less safe.
Enough with the escalation.
Photographer: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty ImagesSurrounded by a nuclear-armed Russia, China and North Korea, South Koreans live in a threatening neighborhood. Their government’s first goal should be to lessen the risks they face. By withdrawing from a three-year-old military information pact with Japan, the administration of President Moon Jae-in has done just the opposite.
The General Security of Military Information Agreement allowed the two U.S. allies to share sensitive intelligence directly and swiftly, without having to go through Washington. Losing the channel will make it harder for their militaries to monitor North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs — and, no less important, harder for the U.S. to coordinate a response in the event of a crisis. South Korea’s decision appears to have surprised and angered American officials.