S.Korea says GSOMIA can be scrapped at 'any time'

2019 11 23

A South Korean presidential official says the country's decision to avert the termination of an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan comes with conditions attached.

South Korea announced on Friday that it will suspend its notice to Japan to end the pact, known as GSOMIA. The move came just hours before the agreement was to expire on Saturday.

South Korea also said it will put on hold its complaint at the World Trade Organization over Japan's tighter export controls of high-tech materials, as long as dialogue continues between the two sides on the trade issue.

However, the presidential official says South Korea can end GSOMIA at any time, if Japan does not compromise on export controls, as well as on its decision to remove Seoul from a list of preferential trade partners.

The official also says that during talks with Japan on GSOMIA and export controls, another contentious issue involving wartime labor was not brought up.

Bilateral ties soured after South Korea's Supreme Court ruled last year that Japanese firms should compensate Koreans who worked for them during World War Two.

South Korea says Japan's tighter export controls are in retaliation for the rulings. Japan denies the claim.