South Korea gave US no 'forewarning' when it left Japan intel pact

Asst. defense secretary calls on Seoul to ‘reconsider’ decision

20190828 South Korea Japan protest

The government of Moon Jae-in kept the U.S. in the dark about the decision-making process that on Aug. 23 led it to cancel an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. © AP

RYO NAKAMURA, Nikkei staff writer

WASHINGTON -- A senior U.S. defense official has called on South Korea to rethink its decision to cancel an intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan, saying the regional security environment obliges tight cooperation, not bickering, among America's allies.

"Our hope is that they'll reconsider this decision," said Randall Schriver, assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific security affairs.

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