South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Thursday that it has decided to scrap a military intelligence-sharing pact with Japan amid a trade spat between the two countries. 

Kim Hyun-chong, deputy director of the National Security Office (NSO) of the Blue House, told a press briefing that the government has decided to end the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), saying it would notify the Japanese government of its decision through diplomatic channels. 
  
South Korea and Japan signed the GOSMIA in November 2016 to share military intelligence on nuclear and missile programs of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK). 
  
The GSOMIA had been automatically renewed each year in August. If either party wants to scrap the pact, the party will be required to notify the other of its intention 90 days ahead. This year's notification deadline falls on August 24.

Kim said the Japanese government removed South Korea from its white list citing a security problem caused by the damaged trust between the two countries, noting that the removal caused a "grave change" in security cooperation between the two sides. 
  
The Blue House official said the government came to a conclusion that it does not serve national interests to keep exchanging sensitive military information with Japan. 

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Japan decides to drop South Korea from trade 'white list'

S. Korea to remove Japan from 'white list' from September
  
The decision was made amid the rising trade dispute between Seoul and Tokyo, caused by Japan's tightened control last month on its export to South Korea of three materials vital to produce memory chips and display panels, which are the mainstay of the South Korean export. 
  
Earlier this month, Japan dropped South Korea off its white list of trusted trading partners that are given preferential export procedure. In response, Seoul took Tokyo off its white list of trusted export partners.

Japan on Thursday summoned the South Korean ambassador to protest Seoul's decision to scrap the intelligence-sharing agreement with Tokyo, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono said. 

Kono also told reporters that South Korea was misreading the security environment following its move, calling Seoul's decision a "completely mistaken response" and extremely regrettable.  

(Cover: Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono (L) greets his South Korean counterpart Kang Kyung-wha ahead of their talks in Beijing, China, August 21, 2019. /VCG Photo)