Leaders From China, Japan, And South Korea Will Meet In China On December 23 To 25 For A Trilateral Summit

Japan's Shinzo Abe, China's Xi Jinping and South Korea's Moon Jae-in are set to meet in the Chinese province of Sichuan. © Reuters

Nikkei Asian Review: Abe to meet Xi and Moon in China later this month

North Korea on agenda for trilateral summit; two-way talks also planned.

TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe plans to visit China from Dec. 23 to 25 for a trilateral summit with South Korea.

Abe unveiled the travel schedule at a meeting of the government and ruling parties on Tuesday, stating, "I hope we can candidly exchange opinions on regional issues, including how to deal with North Korea, and other matters global society faces today."

The Chinese and South Korean presidents, Xi Jinping and Moon Jae-in, are expected to join Abe for the summit in the southwestern province of Sichuan. The three leaders plan to hold separate bilateral meetings.

Talks between Japan and South Korea are likely to focus on their recent trade dispute, which is linked to a ruling by Seoul's top court ordering Japanese companies to pay reparations for their use of wartime labor. Tokyo argues the verdict runs counter to the 1965 basic treaty that stated the issue had been resolved.

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WNU Editor: The meetings will be bilateral, and North Korea, security and border tensions, and trade will be on the agenda.

South Korea Extends Intelligence Sharing Pact With Japan

BBC: South Korea to continue intelligence-sharing pact with Japan

South Korea says it is to continue a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan that had been threatened by a long-running dispute.

The move was welcomed by the US which had urged the two countries to settle their differences.

Seoul announced its decision on Friday, just hours before the pact was due to expire.

Tensions between South Korea and Japan go back decades but have recently led to a series of tit-for-tat measures.

At the centre of the row are the "comfort women" - tens of thousands of Korean women who were forced to work in brothels for Japanese soldiers during World War Two. South Koreans want reparations but Japan considers the issue settled.

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More News On South Korea Extending Its Intelligence Sharing Pact With Japan

South Korea pulls intelligence deal with Japan back from the brink -- Reuters
Under U.S. Pressure, South Korea Stays in Intelligence Pact With Japan -- The New York Times
South Korea extending pact with Japan for sake of alliances, report says -- UPI
South Korea to continue with Japan intelligence pact -- Al Jazeera
South Korea Says It Won't Pull Out Of Japan Intel-Sharing Pact — For Now -- NPR
Japan's Abe says South Korea made strategic choice in keeping intelligence-sharing pact -- Reuters
South Korea’s decision to stay in intelligence pact with Japan helps US contain China, analysts say -- SCMP

South Korea To End Intelligence Pact With Japan

Reuters: Defying U.S. pressure, South Korea to end intelligence pact with Japan

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea is set to let lapse an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan on Saturday amid a bitter feud over history and trade, defying mounting U.S. pressure to maintain a key element of their trilateral security cooperation.

The expiry of the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) is likely to intensify discord between South Korea and the United States, which wants its two Asian allies keep their dispute out of security cooperation.

Seoul gave Tokyo three month’s notice in August for ending GSOMIA after Tokyo imposed export controls on South Korea over a dispute stemming from its 1910-45 colonization of the Korean peninsula.

The accord will expire at Saturday midnight unless it is renewed. Both sides are refusing to budge, with Seoul urging Tokyo to lift its trade regulations first. Japan has called for GSOMIA to be maintained.

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WNU Editor: The U.S. is still trying to save this intelligence pact .... Top diplomats of S. Korea, US hold phone talks on GSOMIA, defense cost sharing (Korea Herald).

South Korea Would Back Kim Jong-Un In The Event Of A War Between Japan And North Korea

The results of a survey released November 6 by the Seoul-baed Korea Institute for National Unification's Lee Sang Sin shows the results of an "extreme hypothetical situation" in which South Koreans were asked if they would support North Korea or Japan in the event of a war between the two regional powers. Korea Institute of National Unification

Newsweek: If North Korea and Japan Went to War, More South Koreans Would Back Kim Jong Un, Poll Shows

If North Korea and Japan went to war, more South Koreans would back their immediate neighbor, a new poll by a state-sponsored think tank in Seoul showed.

The survey, conducted by research fellow Lee Sang Sin, was presented Wednesday as part of the Korea Institute for National Unification's 11th annual Peace Forum. Lee set out to determine the views of South Koreans at a critical juncture in Northeast Asia's power dynamics, and found they would more readily support longtime rival North Korea than fellow U.S. ally Japan should a conflict break out between the two.

"Under a rather extreme hypothetical situation in which war may break out between North Korea and Japan, 45.5 percent would choose to help North Korea, and 15.1 percent Japan," the survey, which was obtained by Newsweek, showed. "39.4 percent respond that they have no idea."

Lee also found that responses did not vary much by political party, with the right-wing Liberty Korea Party only slightly more decided on assisting either Japan or North Korea. Lee told Newsweek that the results were "not so surprising" for those following the trend in inter-Korean relations.

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WNU Editor: North Korea is a brutal Communist dictatorship where most of its citizens are destitute. Japan is a liberal democracy and one of the richest countries in the world. But if given a choice on who to support in the event of war, the mass majority in South Korea would support North Korea. Cannot say that I am surprised by this. Even though Japan left the Korean peninsula 74 years ago, the bitterness of that occupation and Japan's reluctance to acknowledge it is a major wedge issue between the two peoples.

South Korean Fighter Jets Fly Over Islands Claimed By Japan

Reuters: South Korean fighter jets fly patrol over islands disputed by Japan

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean fighter jets flew a patrol on Tuesday over islands at the center of a dispute with Japan, South Korean President Moon Jae-in said at an event marking the founding of his country’s military, drawing an angry Japanese protest.

South Korea showcased newly acquired F-35 stealth fighter jets to mark its Armed Forces Day as Moon tried to allay concerns that his policy of engagement with neighboring North Korea would weaken the South’s commitment to defense.

He said the F-15K jets patrolled over the disputed islets called Dokdo in Korea and Takeshima in Japan, which are controlled by Seoul but claimed by both, risking inflaming strained ties between the neighbors.

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Update #1: South Korean fighter jets patrol over islands disputed by Japan (Al Jazeera)
Update #2: S.Korean fighter jet flies over Takeshima Islands (NHK)
Update #3: Factbox: Disputed isles at center of feud between Japan, South Korea (Reuters)

WNU Editor: Like many maritime border disputes in Asia, they are basically fighting over a pile of rocks.

Japanese PM Abe Says South Korea Has Damaged Trust By Ending Intelligence Deal

DW: Japan's Abe decries Seoul ending intelligence deal

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe says South Korea has damaged trust by ending an intelligence-sharing agreement. He said he would work closely with the US for regional peace.

Seoul's decision to end a pact on sharing military intelligence has undermined trust, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Friday, saying he would continue to cooperate closely with the US on security.

He said he expected South Korea to strive to rebuild trust amid deteriorating relations between the two East Asian neighbors.

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Update #1: Japan leader says S. Korea ending intel deal damages trust -- AP
Update #2: Japan PM Abe: S Korea move to end intelligence pact damages trust -- Al Jazeera

WNU editor: The U.S. is also expressing their disappointment that this intel deal is over .... Pentagon expresses 'concern and disappointment' over axed South Korea-Japan intelligence sharing pact (The Hill). The South Koreans are responding that Japan can access their intel via through the Americans .... S. Korea says will share military intel with Japan through US (AFP).

South Korea Terminates Intelligence - Military Pact With Japan

NBC/Reuters: South Korea scraps intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid bitter feud between U.S. allies

The decision is likely to be met with dismay in the United States, which fears weakened security cooperation on North Korea.

SEOUL — South Korea said on Thursday it will scrap an intelligence-sharing pact with Japan, a decision that could further escalate a dispute over history and trade and undercut security cooperation on North Korea.

The decision is likely to be met with dismay in the United States, which fears weakened security cooperation. The accord is important for efforts to fend off North Korea's nuclear and missile threats.

The decision was announced after an hours-long debate within the presidential National Security Council. The pact was due to be automatically renewed on Saturday, unless either side decided to cancel it.

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WNU Editor: With current tensions in Asia being very high because of China, this is the last thing that the U.S. and its allies need.

More News On South Korea Terminating Its Intelligence - Military Pact With Japan

S. Korea cancels Japan intelligence deal amid trade dispute -- AP
South Korea Says It Will Scrap Intelligence-Sharing Deal With Japan -- The New York Times
South Korea axes pact to share military intelligence with Japan -- The Washington Post
South Korea Ends Pact to Share Military Information With Japan -- The Wall Street Journal
South Korea pulls out of intelligence sharing pact with Japan -- Nikkei Asian Review
First military pact between S. Korea, Japan set to become history -- Korea Herald/Yonhap
S.Korea not extending intelligence pact with Japan -- NHK News

Weapons Radar-Locked Row Flares Up Between South Korea And Japan

Japan Times: Japan discloses footage of radar lock-on by South Korean warship

The Defense Ministry released video footage Friday that it claims shows a South Korean warship directed fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol plane last week, seeking to discredit repeated denials by Seoul.

Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya said the 13-minutes of footage, which was made public Friday evening, would prove that despite those denials the South Korean military destroyer locked fire-control radar on a Maritime Self-Defense Force P-1 patrol aircraft in the Sea of Japan on Dec. 20.

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More News On A Weapons Radar-Locked Row Flaring Up Between South Korea And Japan

Japan shows video of alleged radar lock-on by SKorea warship -- FOX News/AP
Japan says footage ‘proves’ South Korean warship had weapons lock on one of its aeroplanes -- SCMP/AFP
Japan accuses South Korea of 'extremely dangerous' radar lock on plane -- Reuters
Defense Ministry releases video of radar lock on MSDF aircraft -- Asahi Shimbun
South Korea, Japan hold talks on radar lock-on issue -- Nikkei Asian Review
Japan to disclose footage of radar lock-on by S. Korean warship -- The Mainichi

Japan Pulls Out Of South Korean Fleet Event Over Demands It Remove Its 'Rising Sun' Flag

Sailors fold the Japanese naval ensign after a flag lowering ceremony on the deck of Japanese helicopter carrier Kaga anchored near Jakarta Port ahead of its departure for naval drills in the Indian Ocean, Indonesia September 21, 2018. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

The Guardian: Japan pulls out of naval drills over demands it remove 'rising sun' flag

Host nation South Korea ordered Tokyo to drop ensign linked to colonial rule and militaristic past.

Japan has withdrawn from an international fleet review this week after rejecting demands that its warship take part without its “rising sun” flag ensign – regarded by many Koreans as a symbol of Japanese militarism and colonial rule.

South Korea – the host nation – had asked all 14 countries sending vessels to the five-day event, which begins on Thursday at a naval base on the island of Jeju, to ensure they display only their national flags and the flag of South Korea.

The rule – in effect a demand for Japan to remove the kyokujitsuki flag from a destroyer due to take part in the exercise – was introduced amid simmering bilateral disputes over Japan’s use of Korean sex slaves during the second world war and ownership of a group of islets called Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea.

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More News On Japan Pulling Out Of The South Korean Fleet Event Over Demands It Remove Its 'Rising Sun' Flag

Japan to skip naval event after South Korea protests over 'Rising Sun' flag -- Reuters
Japan to skip South Korea fleet event over 'rising sun' flag -- FOX News
Japan withdraws from fleet review over flag spat with South Korea -- Navy Times
Japan Backs out of Korean Fleet Review Over Imperial Flag -- Chosun Ilbo
Japan opts out of naval event over flag row with S. Korea -- Korea Herald
Japan to skip international naval event amid 'Rising Sun' flag row -- Korea Times

Japan Condemns South Korean Military Drills Near Contested Islands

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

The map above shows the amount of territory Korea and Japan would have access to if Japan were acquire Dokdo Takeshima and declare the island an EEZ. Japan maintains uninhabitable islands are capable of generating EEZs while Korea currently enforces a 12 mile limit around Dokdo Takeshima (Dokdo-Takeshima)

CNN: Japan protests South Korean military drills near contested islands

South Korea has angered Japan by staging military drills near a contested island chain, even as it discusses scaling back joint "war games" with the US to de-escalate tensions with North Korea.

The South Korean military dispatched six warships, including the 3,200-ton destroyer Yangmanchun, and aircraft including F-15K fighter jets and Black Hawk helicopters to practice the defense of what South Korea calls the Dokdo Islands in waters east of the Korean Peninsula.

The islands are also claimed by Japan, where they are known as the Takeshima.

The South Korean drills, which it usually conducts twice a year, are expected to last two days.

Japan's Foreign Ministry on Sunday called on South Korea to stop the exercises.

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Update #1: Japan angry as South Korea holds war games to defend against ‘island attack’ -- SCMP/AFP
Update #2: South Korea embarks on war games over disputed islets -- Financial Times

WNU Editor: It is just a rock in the middle of the sea .... but one that has a history of bitter disagreement on who it belongs to.

South Korea Hints That Comfort Women Deal Struck With Japan Might Be Cancelled

VOA: S. Korea Says 2015 Deal with Japan Over 'Comfort Women' Faulty

A 2015 deal reached between South Korea and Japan to resolve the issue of Korean women forced into sexual slavery by Japanese colonial forces was insufficient, a special South Korean task force announced Wednesday.

The deal was reached between Seoul and Tokyo under the administration of ousted President Park Geun-hye. Japan agreed to apologize for the actions of its troops during its brutal rule of the Korean peninsula between 1910 and 1945, and to pay $8 million into a fund established to support the victims.

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WNU Editor: The Japanese are responding .... Japan says ties at risk if South Korea messes with 2015 'comfort women' deal (Reuters). More here .... Japan Lashes Out as South Korea Reviews Landmark Sex-Slave Deal (Bloomberg)

More News On South Korea Hinting That Comfort Women Deal Struck With Japan Might Be Cancelled

Deal With Japan on Former Sex Slaves Failed Victims, South Korean Panel Says -- New York Times
South Korea hints that comfort women deal struck with Japan might be cancelled after survivors spoke out to say they were 'hurt' by it -- Daily Mail
S. Korea-Japan 'comfort women' deal secretly brokered to avoid backlash -- UPI
Comfort women deal with Japan ignored victims, says S Korea -- BBC
Task force says comfort women deal lacked victims' views, confirms existence of secret agreements -- Yonhap

South Korea Rejected U.S. Proposals That Japan Should Participate In Their Joint Military Drills

Nikkei Asian Review: South Korea rejected Japan involvement in joint US military drills

Seoul's Beijing balancing act spoils Trump's united front.

SEOUL -- The Trump administration's plan to show a united front against North Korea in the Sea of Japan took a step back this week as South Korea rejected a U.S. proposal to conduct a trilateral military exercise that would have included participation from Japan.

In a rare move, the U.S. Navy has gathered three aircraft carriers for the exercise, which has been timed to coincide with President Donald Trump's tour of Asia.

But, according to Japanese and South Korean diplomatic sources, the proposal to include Japan's Self-Defense Forces was met with resistance from Seoul, possibly out of concern for relations with China.

Instead, the U.S. and South Korean navies began a four-day bilateral military exercise on Saturday.

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Update: U.S. and South Korea launch joint naval drills in show of force against North Korea (National Post/AP)

WNU Editor: South Korean animosity towards Japan (and Japanese arrogance towards South Korea) has been around forever. Unfortunately .... this is not the time to rehash these sentiments in view of what is happening in North Korea.

Japan Prepares For The Worst

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's government is reaching out to South Korea and the U.S. for cooperation in the event of an evacuation or shelter-in-place scenario.

Nikkei Asian Review: North Korea threat prompts Japan evacuation preparations

Tokyo mulls how to bring thousands of South Korea-based nationals to safety.

TOKYO -- As tensions on the Korean Peninsula reach new heights with Pyongyang's latest nuclear test, Japan is planning for a possible mass evacuation of the nearly 60,000 Japanese citizens currently living in or visiting South Korea.

"There is a possibility of further provocations," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said at a Monday meeting with ruling coalition lawmakers. "We need to remain extremely vigilant and do everything we can to ensure the safety of our people."

In response to North Korea's sixth nuclear test, Japan and the U.S. seek to ratchet up economic pressure on the rogue state through an oil embargo and other measures. But U.S. Defense Secretary James Mattis on Sunday also said any threat to the U.S. or its allies "will be met with a massive military response -- a response both effective and overwhelming."

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WNU Editor: Thinking the unthinkable.

China, South Korea, Japan Summit ‘Postponed’ Over Tensions On The Deployment Of The U.S. Missile Defence Shield

Image: Flickr/futureatlas.com.

South China Morning Post: China, South Korea, Japan summit ‘postponed’ amid missile shield row

Talks planned for next month will not go ahead, sources say, with Beijing’s anger over Seoul’s deployment of a missile defence shield among the reasons.

A summit of top officials from China, South Korea and Japan has been postponed and will not be held next month as Tokyo had planned, according to diplomatic sources.

China’s reluctance to attend partly prompted by the prolonged dispute between Beijing and Seoul over the deployment of a US-developed anti-missile system on the Korean peninsula were blamed, the sources and Japanese media said on Thursday.

Tokyo had wanted to host the summit either between July 19 and 21 or July 24 and 26, but China replied it was “difficult” to attend during those dates, the Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported, citing diplomatic sources.

However, a South Korean diplomatic source told the South China Morning Post that deteriorating relations between China and Japan, which have long been stained by territorial disputes over islands in the East China Sea, were also a reason behind the postponement.

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WNU Editor: The summit may be postponed, but China - Japan talks on preventing accidental clashes in the East China Sea are progressing .... Japan, China start talks to prevent accidental clashes in East China Sea, disputed isles (Japan Times/Kyodo).

Japan Recalls Diplomats And Halts Talks With South Korea Over 'Comfort Women' Statue

BBC: Japan recalls Korean envoy over 'comfort women' statue

Japan has temporarily withdrawn its ambassador to South Korea, amid an escalating row over a statue representing wartime sex slaves.

The statue was installed by activists outside the Japanese consulate in the South Korean city of Busan last month.

South Korea has long called for reparations for "comfort women", who were forced to work in Japanese military brothels during World War Two.

Japan says the statue violates a previous agreement on the issue.

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WNU Editor: The war ended 75 years ago .... but the scars throughout  Asia are still deep.

More News On The Dispute Between Japan And South Korea Over 'Comfort Women' Statues

Japan recalls S. Korea envoy over 'comfort woman' statue -- AFP
Japan to recall envoy from South Korea over 'comfort women' statue -- Reuters
'Comfort Woman' Statue Sparks Diplomatic Row Between Japan And South Korea -- NPR
Japan recalls diplomats, halts talks with South Korea over 'comfort women' statue -- UPI
Japan recalls ambassador to South Korea over comfort woman statue -- ABC News Online
Japan withdraws South Korea envoy over wartime sex slave statue -- VICE New
Who Are The 'Comfort Women'? Why Japan And South Korea Are Fighting Over Sex Slaves -- International Business Times

Japan And South Korea Agree To Share Intelligence On North Korea

DW: Japan, South Korea agree to controversial intelligence deal

After years of discussions, Tokyo and Seoul have agreed to share defense intelligence on North Korea's nuclear program. But opposition parties have decried the pact, saying it recognizes "Japan's military rise."

Japan and South Korea on Monday signed a preliminary deal to share defense intelligence concerning North Korea's nuclear and missile activities, despite resistance from opposition parties and activists.

"It is important that Japan and South Korea cooperate to deal with North Korea's nuclear and missile issues," said Japanese government spokesman Yoshihide Suga.

North Korea has tested nuclear weapons and intercontinental missiles in the face of sanctions and UN Security Council resolutions, sparking concerns in the region.

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WNU Editor: This agreement is not going over well in South Korea .... South Korean opposition to block any military intelligence sharing deal with Japan (South China Morning Post).

More News On Japan And South Korea Agreeing To Share Intelligence On North Korea

Japan, South Korea sign preliminary intelligence-sharing pact on North Korea -- Reuters
Japan, South Korea to provisionally sign intelligence pact this week -- Japan news/JiJi
Japan, South Korea agree to sign pact to share military intelligence amid opposition -- Global Times/Xinhua
South Korean opposition threatens to sack defense chief if Japan intelligence-sharing pact is signed -- Japan Times
South Korea: Opposition parties threaten to impeach defence minister over military deal with Japan -- International Business Times

Japan And South Agreement Will Settle The 'Comfort Women' Issue Between Both Governments

New York Times: Japan and South Korea Settle Dispute Over Wartime ‘Comfort Women’

SEOUL, South Korea — More than 70 years after the end of World War II, South Korea and Japan reached a landmark agreement on Monday to resolve their dispute over Korean women who were forced to serve as sex slaves for Japan’s Imperial Army.

The agreement, in which Japan made an apology and promised an $8.3 million payment, was intended to remove one of the most intractable logjams in relations between South Korea and Japan, both crucial allies to the United States. The so-called comfort women have been the most painful legacy of Japan’s colonial rule of Korea, which lasted from 1910 until Japan’s World War II defeat in 1945.

The Japanese and South Korean foreign ministers, announcing the agreement in Seoul, said each side considered it a “final and irrevocable resolution” of the issue.

WNU Editor: It only took 70 years to sort this out .... small comfort to the few survivors still left.

More News On The Japan - South Korean Agreement On The Issue Of "Comfort Women"

Japan, South Korea settle sex slave issue with gov’t funds -- AP
'Comfort women': Japan and South Korea hail agreement -- BBC
Japan Says Sorry for Its Crimes Against Wartime 'Comfort Women' -- The Atlantic
Japan, South Korea Reach Agreement on 'Comfort Women -- The Diplomat
Japan's apology for Korean comfort women: Can it heal one of Asia's thorniest issues? -- Molly Jackson, CSM

Leaders Of Japan And South Korea mark The 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

Voice of America: Japan, S. Korea Mark 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

Relations between Japan and South Korea have been stressed over the years by Tokyo’s attitudes toward its wartime past. Many Koreans believe Japan has not fully apologized for atrocities committed during World War II. But as they mark the 50th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties, there are signs of a thaw between the two U.S. allies.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended an event hosted by the South Korean Embassy in Tokyo to celebrate the historic 1965 treaty normalizing relations between Tokyo and Seoul. At the reception he said he wants to begin a new era of friendship with South Korea.

“Cooperation between the two countries for regional and global issues, along with international cooperation will lead to the establishment of a new relationship,” Abe said.

More News On The Leaders Of Japan And South Korea Marking The 50th Anniversary of Diplomatic Ties

Leaders of South Korea and Japan Speak of Improving Ties -- NYT
Leaders of Korea, Japan mark 50th anniversary of normalized two-way ties -- Arirang news
Japan, S. Korea mark 50 years of ties with push to overcome strains -- Asahi Shimbun
Abe, Park Take Steps to Ease Tensions on Anniversary of Ties -- Bloomberg
Leaders of SKorea, Japan mark anniversary of normalized ties -- Washington Post/AP
Shinzo Abe vows Japan and South Korea will improve ties -- AFP
Japan and South Korea play nice as they mark 50 years of normalized relations -- Washington Post
Japan’s Abe Aims for Summit With South Korean President -- WSJ

Japan And South Korea Dispute Ownership Over The Takeshima - Dokdo Islands

Ted Galen Carpenter, National Interest: The Island Dispute No One Is Talking About

While the South China Sea and Senkaku Island disputes are all the rage these days, South Korea and Japan's conflict could be equally consequential.

Acrimonious territorial disputes between East Asian nations involving largely uninhabited islands are nothing new, and they have received an abundance of attention from foreign policy officials and the news media. But nearly all the attention has focused on China’s quarrels with Vietnam, the Philippines, and other neighbors regarding the South China Sea, or on the even more dangerous confrontation between China and Japan over the Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands in the East China Sea.

WNU Editor: They are just two small rocks jutting out from the sea .... but they obviously carry a deep symbolic and geographic importance to both countries.

More News On Japan And South Korea Disputing Ownership Of The Takeshima - Dokdo Islands

2 rocks at center of Japan, South Korea decades-old dispute -- Stars and Stripes/Bloomberg
Japan calls for return of isles from South Korea -- AFP
Japanese Ceremony Promotes Tokyo’s Claim to Islets, Angering Seoul -- WSJ
S. Korea condemns Japan's Dokdo ceremony -- Yonhap news
South Korea summons Japanese diplomat to protest Takeshima ceremony -- Japan Times

South Korean Peacekeepers In South Sudan Return Bullets Provided By Japan

Japan And South Korea Can’t Even Cooperate Over Peacekeeping In South Sudan -- Max Fisher, Washington Post

Before we get to the story of how Japan and South Korea came to be feuding over a bit of ammo-sharing between their peacekeeping forces in South Sudan, a bit of background to help you understand why this is all so absurd.

South Korea and Japan are arguably two of the most successful countries of the past half-century. They came out of their respective wars deeply impoverished and politically broken, but have since become wealthy and highly entrepreneurial democracies, renowned for their cultural exports and leadership in technological development.

It would make a lot of sense for South Korea and Japan to work closely together. They have similar economies, lots of cultural overlap, defense treaties with the United States, shared concerns about North Korea and a mutual desire to resist China's growing power and influence. The two countries stand to gain significantly from working together. But they are terrible at cooperating with one another -- just terrible.

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More News On The Rift Between Japan And South Korea Over Bullets

S. Korea to return ammo provided by Japan to PKO troops in S. Sudan -- Global Post/Kyodo News Agency
UN Bullet Supply Deal Highlights Tokyo-Seoul Rifts -- Wall Street Journal
Opposition censures military for receiving ammunition aid from Japan -- Global Post/Yonhap News Agency
In South Sudan, South Korean Peacekeepers Solicit Ammo From Bitter Rivals Japan -- Time

My Comment: This is one of those "Huh????" moments. Your soldiers are in the middle of a civil war and are also low in ammunition .... but the South Korean government makes the decision that Japanese bullets are unacceptable and should be returned.