From right, South Korean Vice Minister of National Defense Lee Doo-hee, South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Park Yoon-joo, Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Takehiro Funakoshi and Japanese Vice Defense Minister Koji Kano pose in Seoul, Thursday, as they hold their first "two-plus-two" vice-ministerial talks between their foreign and defense ministries to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation on a range of security issues of mutual interest. Yonhap
South Korea is not considering signing a bilateral military logistics support agreement with Japan, a defense ministry official said Friday, following a report suggesting Tokyo seeks to push for such a deal.
Japan aims to make progress in future talks with South Korea for an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA), following their "two plus two" security meeting of defense and foreign vice ministers that took place in Seoul on Thursday, according to Yomiuri Shimbun.
An ACSA is a bilateral pact between the United States and its allies on facilitating the sharing of logistics supplies and services, such as food, fuel and transportation, during contingencies.
"We are not considering the signing of an ACSA between South Korea and Japan," a defense ministry official said.
"The South Korean government continues to pursue stable and future-oriented defense exchanges and cooperation with Japan based on mutual respect and trust," the official said.
Tokyo is seeking to sign an ACSA with Seoul between their militaries as a way to enhance bilateral military coordination and also trilaterally with the U.S., their mutual ally.
It also expects such a move would provide a framework for stronger deterrence against North Korean threats and possible military provocations from China.
But Seoul has been cautious about the issue largely due to concerns that it could potentially allow Japan's Self-Defense Forces to engage in operations on the Korean Peninsula.
Thorny wartime history issues stemming from Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea are also cited as a factor behind Seoul's guarded approach to the matter.
Source: Korea Times News
