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US-South Korea Alliance Under Pressure as Deadlines for Military Pacts
Approach

Christy Lee

   WASHINGTON - The U.S.-South Korean alliance is strained by their
   differences over military pacts, and if the allies fail to reach
   agreements, Seoul's national security could be at risk, experts said.

   The pressure stems from two military agreements nearing expiration:
   Seoul's intelligence sharing pact with Tokyo, set to expire Nov. 23,
   and Seoul's defense cost sharing deal with Washington, expiring Dec.
   31.

   "There's a lot of pressure on the alliance right now," said Bruce
   Bennett, a senior defense analyst at the Rand Corp. research center.
   "Because of that pressure, the alliance is not quite as strong as it's
   been at some points in the past."

   Seoul has been refusing Washington's demands to reverse its decision to
   terminate an intelligence-sharing pact with Tokyo.

   Withdrawal from GSOMIA

   In August, Seoul announced it would withdraw from General Security of
   Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Tokyo. That came during a
   trade row that broke out in the summer, a disagreement rooted in South
   Korea's historical grievances over forced labor during the Japanese
   colonial period from 1910 to 1940.

   Washington sees GSOMIA as a crucial vehicle for its two allies to share
   sensitive military information, such as threats from North Korea or to
   communicate during a crisis.

   "The U.S. government has ratcheted up considerable public pressure on
   South Korea not to go through with its GSOMIA nonrenewal decision,"
   said Scott Snyder, director of the Program on U.S.-Korea Policy at the
   Council on Foreign Relations.

   "The U.S. sees GSOMIA less as a Japan issue than a regional security
   issue, while South Korea seems to be approaching GSOMIA solely in the
   context of bilateral relations with Japan," he said.

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