[Text Fwd: PSPD] S. Korea-Japan Military Pact should not be initiated, which will inevitably justify JSDF's military actions and bring a new Cold War

People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

S. Korea-Japan Military Pact should not be initiated, which will inevitably justify JSDF's military actions and bring a new Cold War in Northeast Asia.

- It neutralizes the Article 9 of the Peace Constitution of Japan

On 4 January 2011, the Daily Yomiuri reported that South Korean and Japanese governments are promoting a joint declaration of enforcing comprehensive military cooperation between them. While denying any review on this agreement, The Korean government said that it would discuss about signing ACSA(Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement), GSOMIA(General Security of Military Information Agreement) and other issues at Korea-Japan Minister of National defence meeting next week. The government seems to monitor public opinion carefully while it emphasizes the military cooperation between two countries is being discussed at low level. However, this issue is not all about past history between Korea and Japan or national sentiment. It is dangerous to make any agreement or joint declaration for military cooperation between Korea and Japan because it could justify overseas operation of JSDF(Japanese Self-Defense Forces) and bring about the new Cold War in East Asia.

First of all, South Korea-Japan military cooperation agreement justifies Japan to maintain military forces and its usage which have been banned by the Japanese Constitution. Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution prohibits Japan from maintaining armed forces and an act of war by the state, playing a role of restricting expansion of Japanese military force and as fundamental principle for peace in Northeast Asia. As already known, however, the Japanese government showed its intention to amend this article in order to dispatch the JSDF overseas and get a right of collective self-defence from a long time ago. Therefore, if a military agreement or a joint declaration between South Korea and Japan is made in any form, it would mean that South Korean government consents to this move of Japan and contributes to expansion of its military forces by neutralizing article 9 of the constitution. It could also be an excuse for dispatching Japanese Self-Defense Forces into Korean peninsula. The Japanese Prime Minister's remark that JSDF could be sent to the Korean Peninsula on the pretext of contingency was controversial. It would become a reality, not just a happening.

Another problem is that it will necessarily bring about a new Cold War in Northeast Asia. The U.S. has taken Japan as an axis of alliance in Asia region for a long time as it had England in Europe, and at the same time, it has asked an increased military role to Japan. In this regard improvement of South Korea-Japan relation and military cooperation has been also required. The US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen said "Korea and Japan should try to make South Korea-U.S-Japan trilateral military training to happen, advancing from their past history" As a series of similar actions JSDF observed South Korea-U.S. joint military training and warships and corvettes of JSDF participated in PSI exercise. This reinforced military cooperation between Korea, U.S. and Japan aims to blockade China, which is rapidly growing its power. Therefore, enforcing Korea-Japan military cooperation would cause new Cold War between one side of South Korea-U.S.-Japan and the other side of North Korea-Russia-China. This is highly inappropriate in current circumstance of Northeast Asia where constructive role of China is more required for peace on Korean peninsula.

It should be emphasized that a military cooperation between Korea and Japan is not appropriate regardless of its level. It just helps expansion of Japan's military power and boosts Cold War structure in Northeast Asia, which is not over yet. Korean peninsula also could be entangled in regional power conflict and confrontation. The Korean government should avoid this situation. Any form of military agreement or comprehensive declaration of military cooperation between Korea and Japan would be intolerable.

January 5, 2011

People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy