South Korea's defense ministry said it was ready to revise the Military Intelligence Information Sharing Agreement if Japan changed.

"Our government's position remains unchanged that if Japan withdraws its unfair retaliation measures and the friendship between the two countries is restored, many issues can be reconsidered, including Military Intelligence Sharing Agreement (GSOMIA), "Defense Ministry spokesman Choi Hyun-soo said at a press conference today.

The South Korean government on August 22 decided not to renew GSOMIA after it expired on November 23, despite strong opposition from both Japan and the US. Washington has repeatedly called on Seoul to reconsider its decision to end GSOMIA because it sees it as a mainstay of trilateral security cooperation, to combat the growing threat from Beijing and Pyongyang.

The statement by the Ministry of Defense of South Korea today is considered somewhat more "humble" than the message made on 11/11, when the Ministry confirmed that there has not been any plan related to changing the decision. is about to end GSOMIA, and denies speculation that South Korea is reconsidering the deal.

Japan-South Korea relations worsened after Tokyo restricted the export of some high-tech materials to Seoul, and removed its neighboring country from the "whitelist" exempt from trade restrictions.

South Korea accused Japan of using its goodwill to retaliate against its ruling in November 2018 over forced labor in the period 1910-1945. Seoul also announced the end of GSOMIA with Tokyo, raising Washington's concern about the possibility of wobbling relations with the two Asian allies.