South Korea severs intelligence ties with japan

As part of an escalating diplomatic dispute, South Korea announced on Thursday that it would end the sharing of military intelligence with Japan.

The rift between the two nations, usually mediated by US influence, has widened in recent months and has led to a trade war in the Pacific.

Tensions were first sparked in this exchange by South Korean court rulings that demanded reparations from Japanese companies that made use of Korean forced labor during the Japanese occupation of Korea in World War Two.

Japan largely avoids acknowledging the crimes committed during the war, and bristled in response to the court claims. Earlier this month, Japan removed South Korea from its list of favored trading partners, citing ‘loss of trust’ as one of its justifications.

The intelligence-sharing agreement which is now ending was originally formed with US backing in 2016, and was intended to create a united front against North Korea while solidifying the US’ sphere of influence against China.