South Korean President Moon Jae-in and US Secretary of Defense Mark Esper have reportedly agreed on the importance of extending a military intelligence sharing agreement between South Korea and Japan at a meeting in Seoul on Friday.
The talks come after Esper met South Korea’s senior leaders to discuss a number of issues including the trade row between Seoul and Tokyo, its major allies in the region.
The dispute began in July after a Seoul court ordered Japanese steel companies to pay reparations to forced labourers, dating back to Japan’s occupation during WWII. Tokyo responded by tightening restrictions on tech exports from South Korea.