South Korea's defense minister says that the country's military intel-sharing agreement with Japan, GSOMIA, should be extended if it helps in any way to uphold South Korea's national security.
His remarks came during a meeting held Monday at the National Assembly.
Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo added, however, that the final decision lies with the Moon Jae-in administration.
Jeong said he has reiterated the importance of GSOMIA repeatedly... but also highlighted that non-security-related issues should be considered too,... pointing to Tokyo's export restrictions on South Korea.
Whichever way the government decides, he said, it's vital to address concerns if Seoul lets GSOMIA expire at the end of this month.
He reassured lawmakes that security-related concerns regarding GSOMIA have been shared and discussed intensively within the administration.