By Tae-jun Kang
New defense guidelines for the U.S.-Japan alliance have some analysts in South Korea worried.
Now that the United States and Japan have agreed to new defense guidelines for their alliance, there is a growing concern in South Korea that Japan might be able to exercise its military power within South Korea’s airspace and operations area in the future under the name of cooperation with the United States.
The new U.S.-Japan Defense Guidelines state that Washington and Tokyo will cooperate under all circumstances, including the outbreak of war, and it has expanded their joint operation areas from the immediate Asia-Pacific area to the all over the world.
What has drawn the most attention in Seoul is the fact that the operation area of the Japanese Self-Defense Forces has expanded beyond the area near Japan to encompass the world at large. Many in South Korea are worried that this could mean Japan will be able to exercise military power within South Korea’s operations area as well as airspace without making an agreement with Seoul.
Read the full story at The Diplomat