Page 219 - 2020 Defence White Paper

Ministerial Meeting in 2009. Following the ROK–Japan Defense Ministerial Meeting
in 2015, the two countries’ Defense Ministers have continuously convened bilateral
talks during multilateral conferences such as the Asia Security Summit (ASS). The
Defense Ministers held bilateral talks during the ADMM-Plus in November 2019 as
well, and agreed to continue to enhance their defense exchanges and cooperation in a
future-oriented manner.
However, the defense relationship between the two countries experienced
difficulties due to the distorted perception of history and claims of sovereignty over
Dokdo Island by some Japanese political leaders, as well as a Japanese patrol aircraft
conducting a threatening flyby close to a ROK vessel that was carrying out rescue
operations in December 2018 and the unilateral press release by Japan containing
20)
misleading facts about the situation. And the export control measures against the
ROK in July 2019 under the pretext of security concerns is a barrier to the future-
oriented development of the defense relationship between the two countries.
Following Japan’s action, on August 23, 2019, the ROK government decided to
terminate the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA),
which was signed for the purpose of exchanging sensitive military information for Chapter 6
security reasons, and notified Japan of the termination. On November 22, 2019,
however, the ROK government, as a means to resolve the situation, suspended the
termination under the premise that the effect of the GSOMIA could be suspended
at any given time. With the suspension of termination still in place, the ROK is
demanding Japan’s change of attitude.
The ROK will, when it comes to common security issues, continue to cooperate

with Japan for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Northeast Asia
while firmly and strictly responding to Japan’s distortion of history, unjust claims
over Dokdo Island, and unilateral and arbitrary actions on pending issues. 20)
Japan claimed that its
patrol aircraft’s threatening
low-altitude flying over the
Defense Exchanges Russia is a key partner in the ROK govern- ROK rescue vessels was a
and Cooperation with Russia ment’s New Northern Policy . The ROK and normal and announced the
21)
completion of a unilateral
Russia have continued to develop their strate- investigation without fact-
checking although the ROK
gic communication and mutual cooperation so that Russia will play a constructive made numerous accounts
that the ROK destroyer did
role in the denuclearization and establishment of a peace regime on the Korean not illuminate the tracking
radar.
Peninsula, including the ROK President’s visit to Russia after 19 years in June 2018
21)
and holding of five summits since 2017. A policy to promote
common prosperity and
In the field of defense, communication between military authorities is being peace in Eurasia, including
the Korean Peninsula,
reinforced through various consultation channels such as the JCS chief director-level by strengthening the
connection with the
meeting, joint military committee, and consultative bodies for each service in 2019. Eurasian region

Chapter 6. Developing a Robust ROK–US Alliance that is Mutually Complementary and Promoting Defense Exchanges and Cooperation 217