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S Korea, Japan discuss first-ever military pact

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21 Comments
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I'm sure this will go down well in South Korea.....not.

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Only the Kim dynasty can benefit if these fail. Share intel, food, fuel and medical support can save many civilians lives in case of war.

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The Chinese are going to love this and of course the North is going to scream puppet state.

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Discussions can carry on for decades or generations without mutual trust as the necessary fundamentals..and under pressure from the US..the first obstacle seems to be the keen reluctance the S. Korean public's support..

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occidentalis, this article seems to avoid the china factor which is the real reason for this little bit military hugging by jpn & korea. Sure nkorea figures into it but its china stupid behavior of late that cud push Jpn & Korea together in this regard.

China WILL NOT be happy about this but the US certainly will be, cud be possible that China will solve Jpns problem related to its history, wudnt that be a kick in the a$$!

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The thing is, in the past, Japan was used as a supply base for food, fuel, and medical support during the Korean War, to UN forces, including American and South Korean troops. The United States controlled the show, of course, back then and now.

So this military pact is a bit of window dressing, since both South Korea and Japan are American protectorates, and still need U.S. permission to even discuss this first-ever military pact.

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Regardless of if this is for some hatred of North Korea, the Chinese will surely develop more advanced weapons now.

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Taiwan? Philippines? C'mon - we have a really cool new Great Wall coming up here....

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China won't like military cooperation among surrounding countries that it has issues with but will probably try to use economic incentives and pressure to prevent future alliances.

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gaijinjack at 03:05 PM JST - 10th January I'm sure this will go down well in South Korea.....not.

Already is.

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mushroomcloud at 10:46 PM JST - 10th January The thing is, in the past, Japan was used as a supply base for food, >fuel, and medical support during the Korean War, to UN forces, including >American and South Korean troops. The United States controlled the show, >of course, back then and now.

To fill this in all the way the US Navy used a former Japanese Imperial Navy Minesweeper Fleet together with their former Imperial Japanese Navy captains and sailors to clear Korean ports during the Korean War. One or two Japanese silors even lost their lives in these operations.

So this military pact is a bit of window dressing, since both South >Korea and Japan are American protectorates, and still need U.S. >permission to even discuss this first-ever military pact.

You got that backwards. They don't need US permission, the entire concept was suggested. advocated and advanced by the United States. As others have correctly pointed out while combining the two separate US-Japan and US-SKorea alliances into one certainly frustrates North Korea, it's really a massive monkey wrench thrown into China's expansion policy.

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And how much does japan could have helped to ROK after two slapped over face last year?

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Both countries, Japan & S. Korea, have long been under the US protection & economic support ( by allowing generous access to the US market that contributed to the J miracle in the 80's & the K miracle in the 90's ) and unlike W. Europe, the two have adopted 100% US weapons & military standard..why then it took decades only to find the two are still discussing a military pact ( Korean officials reportedly denounced & were angry about the Japanese press' report ) that should pave the ground for the NPTO ( North Pacific Treaty Organization -- Asian counterpart of the NATO in Europe )..

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just-a-guy at 01:14 AM JST - 11th January And how much does japan could have helped to ROK after two slapped over >face last year?

Please try this again in English.

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"...why then it took decades only to find the two are still discussing a military pact..."

Because there were always people in BOTH countries with the political motives to scuttle such plans.

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I'm sure that some in SK will think that this is similar to "colonization" by Japan again but it is really a shot at NK and nothing more. I wonder what Yonhap is going to come out with. It will be very interesting to see what China thinks. NK is digging China into a very deep hole. How will they get out?

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"NK is digging China into a very deep hole."

You have a good point ca1ic0cat because NK's actions are actually working against China's interests, not the other way.

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It is good that neighbors get along. That includes Korea and Japan.

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It is good that neighbors get along. That includes Korea and Japan.

I agree. I can't see this as anything other than a positive step. Japan & The ROK need each other more than ever with mutants governments such as NK & China on the doorstep; neither of which appear to be relenting in their belligerence to date.

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Sounds good to me.

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As the saying goes: the enemy of my enemy is my friend....

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