Intel Deal Controversy

[Anchor Lead]

With the signing of a military information sharing deal between South Korea and Japan, controversy has followed, as Japanese news outlets report Tokyo may demand that Seoul provide sensitive information on the position of military units, airports and ports. The reports come only a day after the accord went into effect. Let's find out more.

[Pkg]

According to a report from Japan's Sankei Shimbun, it appears that the Japanese government will demand that South Korea hand over information on military forces deployment as well as airports and ports, based on the military information sharing agreement. The newspaper said that such information is necessary for Tokyo to devise plans to evacuate 38,000 Japanese people living in South Korea in case of an emergency on the Korean Peninsula.

[Soundbite] Fumio Kishida(Japanese Foreign Minister) : "I look forward to more expedient exchanges of information between the South Korean and Japanese governments pertaining to the guarantee of safety."

The South Korean government has cited the sharing of information on North Korea's nuclear and missile programs as the major reason for signing the agreement.However, a different story is emerging from Japan only a day after the agreement went into effect. In response, a Defense Ministry official explained that no consideration is being given regarding the exchange of information as suggested by Japanese media outlets. It was also stressed that the South Korean government will decide on what information will be exchanged under the accord. However, concerns are rising that South Korea and Japan might have had different interpretations of the military information sharing pact from the start.