South Korea dismisses possibility for military ties with Japan

South Korea's Defence Ministry on Friday dismissed the possibility for further military ties with Japan, citing Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's visit to the controversial war shrine. Asked about whether there is any scheduled exchange of military personnel between Seoul and Tokyo next year, Defense Ministry deputy spokesman Wi Yong-seop told a routine press briefing that he had no choice but to ask back whether it would be possible for any military exchange to take place given Japan's untrustworthy behavior as seen in Abe's visit to the Yasukuni Shrine. His comments came after Abe paid respect to the notorious war shrine on Thursday for the first time in around seven years as the incumbent Japanese prime minister. The shrine has been viewed as a symbol of Japan's war of aggression and colonial rule as it enshrines war dead, including Hideki Tojo who plunged East Asia into a devastating war and Kuniaki Koiso who as governor-general of Korea during the colonial rule that pillaged the country through coerced conscription, forced labor and extortion. South Korea lashed out at the visit in an unusually strong tone through a statement by the government statement rather than the foreign ministry spokesman to express its outrage against the anachronistic act. The statement said that Abe's visit clearly demonstrates his erroneous understanding of history, warning against further frosty relations between South Korean and Japan and worsening cooperation in Northeast Asia. Expressing the visit as outrageous and deplorable, the Seoul government said that Abe will not be able to make contributions to promote peace in the region with such a wrong concept of history, urging Tokyo's full contrition and apology for its past wrongdoings. The defense and foreign ministries were denounced after the South Korean unit in South Sudan received 10,000 rounds of ammunition from the Japanese Self-Defense Forces Monday, boosting speculation that it would mean a green light to Japan's pursuit of the so-called active pacifism or collective self-defense right. Some 280 South Korean soldiers stationed in South Sudan, composed mostly of engineers and medics, asked for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) to offer additional ammunition as a crisis of civil war was escalating in the strife-stricken African country. Following the request, the Japanese Self-Defense sent the ammunition to the South Korean troops through the UNMISS. Regarding the ammunition aid, deputy spokesman Wi said that the South Korean unit will return it back as soon as the troops receive additional supplies, which are on their way to the base camp in South Sudan.