An Analysis on Controversies over the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between South Korea and Japan: International Factors versus Domestic Factors

An Analysis on Controversies over the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between South Korea and Japan: International Factors versus Domestic Factors

This paper is written to analyze the conflict between the international political factor, that is security requirement, and the domestic political factor, that is public opinion, regarding the controversy over the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between South Korea and Japan. For this purpose, it introduces the linkage and two-level game theories, anti-Japanese emotion in South Korea and the nature the GSOMIA. It explains the backgrounds of GSOMIA between South Korea and Japan to analyze how the international and domestic factors interact each other regarding the GSOMIA. South Korean government decided to renunciate the GSOMIA because it was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the negative South Korean public opinion against Japan. However, it cancelled its renunciation decision, because the security requirement was too serious, later. There was a strong influence of rumor that the GSOMIA could infringe the South Korean sovereignty in the controversy. In this sense, South Korea should try to reduce the influence of domestic factors to its international factors especially in its relations with Japan. The South Korean government should try to actively explain the details of its relations with Japan to the people and lead the public opinion to the positive side especially on security issues.

This paper is written to analyze the conflict between the international political factor, that is security requirement, and the domestic political factor, that is public opinion, regarding the controversy over the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between South Korea and Japan. For this purpose, it introduces the linkage and two-level game theories, anti-Japanese emotion in South Korea and the nature the GSOMIA. It explains the backgrounds of GSOMIA between South Korea and Japan to analyze how the international and domestic factors interact each other regarding the GSOMIA. South Korean government decided to renunciate the GSOMIA because it was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the negative South Korean public opinion against Japan. However, it cancelled its renunciation decision, because the security requirement was too serious, later. There was a strong influence of rumor that the GSOMIA could infringe the South Korean sovereignty in the controversy. In this sense, South Korea should try to reduce the influence of domestic factors to its international factors especially in its relations with Japan. The South Korean government should try to actively explain the details of its relations with Japan to the people and lead the public opinion to the positive side especially on security issues.