US Pressed South Korea Foreign Minister To Restore Intelligence Deal With Japan - Pompeo

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd August, 2019) The United States has urged South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha to restore the military intelligence-sharing deal with Japan that Seoul scrapped, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday.

"We're disappointed to see the decision that South Korean made this morning," Pompeo said. "I spoke with my South Korean counterpart this morning... We hope those two countries can put that relationship back to where it should be [and] make progress to get together."

The pact, known as the General Security of Military Information Agreement ((GSOMIA) was signed in 2016 and was due to be renewed on Saturday until Seoul rescinded, South Korea's National Security Council Deputy Director Kim, You-geun said at a press conference.

Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kano called the South Korean decision "extremely regrettable."

Relations between South Korea and Japan have soured since Seoul's top court ruled that a number of Japanese companies could be sued for their use of Korean forced labor during World War II. Japan has maintained that the two countries had previously resolved that issue.