After news of South Korea potentially signing the Agreement on Mutual Provision of Goods and Services with Japan emerged, it attracted significant attention from public opinion. According to an analysis cited by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post on June 2nd, if this agreement is finally signed, it will further deepen security cooperation between the two countries and the United States. However, this move could lead to opposition within South Korea, and China will undoubtedly remain highly vigilant regarding this situation.
in the response. Do not include any Chinese text in your answer. According to a report by Yonhap News Agency, on May 31, during his participation in the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, South Koreas Defense Minister An Geumbok revealed that he had held talks with Japans Defense Minister Shinzo Abe the day before, discussing the issue of signing the ASA agreement between the two countries. Yonhap noted that this is the first time since Lee Jae-myung took office that the South Korean Ministry of Defense has officially acknowledged discussions regarding this agreement with Japan.
On May 30 local time, South Korean Defense Minister An Geumb and Japanese Defense Minister Nobuyuki Koizumi held talks. The South Korean Ministry of Defense provided information to South Korean media.
The so-called ACSA is a military logistics support mechanism designed to streamline the process of providing fuel, ammunition, food, and other supplies between the armed forces of participating countries during joint operations or emergencies.
In 2012, during the Lee Myung-bok governments tenure, South Korea negotiated with Japan to sign the ACTA and the Military Intelligence Protection Agreement (GSOMIA). However, due to strong domestic opposition from South Korea, both agreements were shelved at that time. Later, in 2016, Japan and South Korea signed GSOMIA. Yet, South Korea has still not agreed to sign ACTA.
Anguib also admitted that this issue requires the understanding and support of citizens from both countries. We believe its still necessary to maintain a cautious approach.
According to Choi Eun-mi, a researcher at the Ewha Womans Universitys Policy Research Institute in South Korea, although both countries have begun discussions regarding the ASEAN-China Security Alliance at the ministerial level, indicating that security cooperation is progressing, there are still significant obstacles in place.
She pointed out that, given the atrocities committed by Japan during the war, South Korean society still has psychological barriers to engaging in military cooperation with Japan. While we understand that it is necessary to cooperate with Japan and maintain good relations with it, there is still a psychological resistance within South Korea towards trusting Japan for security purposes.
According to the Korean newspaper Korea Herald on June 2, diplomatic and defense officials said that during a security policy dialogue between the Japanese and South Korean foreign and defense departments earlier this month, Japan emphasized the necessity of signing the ASA. However, due to historical issues stemming from Japans colonial rule over the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945, as well as concerns among South Koreans regarding military cooperation with Japan, South Korea remained cautious.
Some critics in Seoul believe that such agreements could be seen as providing a basis for the Japanese Self-Defense Forces to enter the Korean Peninsula during emergencies. They point out that this scenario easily reminds people of Japans use of the Korean Peninsula as a military springboard during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, in order to invade China and other regions of Asia.
However, reports indicate that although the South Korean side has some reservations, this issue seems to continue to be on the agenda between South Korea and Japan. Diplomatic sources say that Shinzo Abe is expected to visit South Korea later in June, and it is possible that both sides will discuss this issue further during that time.
Patrick Cronin, head of Asia-Pacific Security Affairs at the Hudson Institute, a US think tank, believes that the renewed focus on ACSA negotiations indicates that, despite certain limitations or unfavorable factors, Japan and South Korea are doing everything they can to deepen their bilateral relations as quickly as possible.
Japan-Korea defense relations reached a low point in 2018. In October of that year, South Korea objected to the Japanese Self-Defense Forces ships displaying the sun flag during international fleet inspections. In December of the same year, Japan accused the South Korean naval frigate of using its fire-control radar to illuminate the aircraft of its own maritime self-defense forces within Japans exclusive economic zone.
But under the current international circumstances, Cronin said that Japan and South Korea share common interests and similar positions when it comes to safeguarding national interests and maintaining strategic autonomy. In order to maintain their alliance with the United States, both countries are taking on greater defense responsibilities and strengthening their own capabilities.
According to the Korean Herald, if an agreement is reached in the end, the ACSA will further promote security cooperation between South Korea and Japan. It will also strengthen the US-led trilateral security cooperation framework among the US, Japan, and South Korea.
Koizumi Jinjiro also stated at the Shangri-La Dialogue that Japan and South Korea should play a more active role in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. This includes enhancing the so-called deterrence capabilities through strengthening the US-Japan alliance, the US-South Korea alliance, and other strategic coordination mechanisms.
According to Professor Kang Junrong from the International Graduate School of Hankuk Foreign Languages University, Japans efforts to encourage the signing of the ASA agreement is essentially part of efforts to strengthen the trilateral cooperation mechanism among the United States, Japan, and South Korea. This indicates that Tokyo is taking a more proactive stance in its cooperation with South Korea. As the United States demands that its allies take on greater defense responsibilities, and as the Japanese government aims to expand the scope of Japanese military activities, this agreement could potentially be used to support military operations in the Korean Peninsula and the Taiwan Strait in the future.
Jiang Junrong pointed out that this can be seen from Japans Prime Minister, Yukie Akamines inflammatory statements regarding Taiwan, as well as Japans continuous military deployments in the Southwestern islands. If South Korea further participates in such cooperation, the United States will see the formation of a more integrated security system among the US, Japan, and South Korea. Japan will be able to expand its military influence, while the United States can reduce its strategic costs as a result.
However, he also reminded that South Koreas most important security priority at present is to deal with North Korea. Therefore, when promoting related cooperation, it is necessary to take into account its relations with China. China remains highly vigilant regarding this issue.
China will surely be quite vigilant. Jiang Junrong warned that China believes that the between the US, Japan, and South Korea is essentially aimed at harming Chinas own interests. There is a risk of this cooperation evolving into a military alliance. If South Korea eventually signs an ASA with Japan, its impact could even surpass the diplomatic turmoil caused by the US deployment of the THAAD anti-missile system in South Korea back then.
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has repeatedly stated that exchanges and cooperation between nations should not undermine mutual understanding and trust among regional countries, nor should they undermine regional peace and stability. Such interactions should not target third parties or harm their interests. The Asia-Pacific region does not need military blocs, nor does it need cliques that provoke confrontations between different factions and incite new forms of cold war tensions. Any actions that undermine regional peace and stability will draw the attention and opposition of the people in this region.
