JAPAN-SECURITY/BILLS-SOUTH KOREA South Korea calls for "transparency" in Japan's security bill shift

Record ID: 146953

  • Title: JAPAN-SECURITY/BILLS-SOUTH KOREA South Korea calls for "transparency" in Japan's security bill shift
  • Date: 16th July 2015
  • Summary: SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA (JULY 16, 2015) (REUTERS) DIRECTOR AT OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON PRESS RELATIONS DIVISION AT SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY YOO CHANG-HO WALKING IN AND STANDING IN FRONT OF PODIUM JOURNALISTS TYPING AT NEWS BRIEFING YOO STANDING AT PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Korean) DIRECTOR AT OFFICE OF THE SPOKESPERSON PRESS RELATIONS DIVISION AT SOUTH KOREAN FOREIGN MINISTRY
  • Embargoed: 31st July 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACMGK59NDZF3H56Z3IKA0LZC76
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: PLEASE REFER TO 4108-JAPAN-SECURITY/MILITARY-FILE SENT ON JULY 16 FOR FILE MATERIAL
    South Korean foreign ministry urged Japan on Thursday (July 16) to maintain transparency in the discussion of its security policies.
    Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pushed through legislation in the lower house of parliament that could see troops sent to fight abroad for the first time since World War Two, despite thousands of protesters overnight chanting and holding up placards reading "No War, No Killing".
    A lower house panel approval on Wednesday (July 15) of the unpopular bills, which would drop a ban on collective self-defence or fighting to defend a friendly country like the United States.
    Director at Press Relations Division at South Korean Foreign Ministry Yoo Chang-ho said Seoul hoped that Japan will continue to contribute to peace and stability.
    "The government's stance is that Japan's security policy should be discussed in a transparent way to maintain the spirit of the peace constitution while contributing to the peace and stability in the region," he said.
    The bills will now go to the upper house, and if no vote is taken after 60 days they will be returned to the lower house, where Abe's coalition can enact them with a two-thirds majority.
    Abe says a bolder security stance, welcomed by ally Washington, is essential to meet new challenges, such as those from a rising China.
    The changes expand the scope for Japan's military to also provide logistics support to friendly countries, relax limits on peace-keeping operations and make it easier to respond to "grey zone" incidents falling short of war.
    Opponents say the revisions could entangle Japan in U.S.-led conflicts around the globe and violate pacifist Article Nine of the U.S-drafted, post-war constitution.
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