Vice FM asks U.S. to refrain from public messaging against Seoul's GSOMIA decision
SEOUL, Aug. 28 (Yonhap) -- South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Cho Sei-young on Wednesday asked the United States to refrain from public messaging against Seoul's recent decision to terminate a military information-sharing pact with Japan, a source here said.
Cho met with U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris to make the request as Washington has repeatedly expressed disappointment and concerns in a rare public rebuke of Seoul's decision to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA).
Amid a row over trade and wartime history with Tokyo, Seoul announced the decision last Thursday to withdraw from GSOMIA, which is seen as a rare platform to promote the two countries' trilateral defense cooperation with their mutual ally, Washington.
During his talks with Harris, Cho pointed out that Washington's open, repeated messages against Seoul's decision would not be helpful in strengthening the bilateral alliance and that Seoul is fully aware of the U.S. position on the matter, the source said.
Washington has expressed "strong concern" and "disappointment" over Seoul's move to end GSOMIA, raising concerns about an apparent deterioration of the long-standing partnership between the allies.
Earlier this week, Morgan Ortagus, the spokeswoman of the U.S. State Department, even tweeted that the termination of GSOMIA will make defending Korea more complicated and increase risk to U.S. forces.
Seoul has stressed that its decision is separate from the South Korea-U.S. alliance and that it will continue to seek strengthening of the treaty alliance.
sshluck@yna.co.kr
(END)
-
All BTS members renew contract with BigHit
-
Defense minister nominee calls for scrapping inter-Korean military accord
-
S. Korea, Turkey push to sign military information protection agreement
-
Nuclear envoys of S. Korea, U.S., Japan condemn N. Korea's stipulation of nuclear policy
-
Unification minister to visit Britain, Germany
-
All BTS members renew contract with BigHit
-
(LEAD) Court rejects arrest warrant for opposition leader Lee over corruption charges
-
Defense minister nominee calls for scrapping inter-Korean military accord
-
S. Korea, Turkey push to sign military information protection agreement
-
(LEAD) Opposition leader Lee attends arrest warrant hearing at Seoul court
-
S. Korea, U.S. hold joint anti-terrorism exercise
-
Memorials commemorating Itaewon crowd crush to be erected at accident site
-
(Asiad) S. Korea vs. N. Korea in women's football; diver looks to extend medals record
-
S. Korea to extend US$5 mln worth of fertilizer aid to Ukraine via U.S. agency
-
Traffic heavy on expressways following Chuseok