South Korea and Japan plan to resume negotiations over a military intelligence-sharing accord in response to North Korea’s heightened threats, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) announced on Thursday.

The General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) will allow both the South and Japan to directly share and exchange classified information on the DPRK.

Japan will share imagery and signal intelligence about the North’s transporter erector launcher (TEL) which is located by a reconnaissance satellite and plane, and South Korea plans to provide information on the North’s missiles detected by long-range air search radar.

“The North’s nuclear and missile threats have been increased as two nuclear tests were conducted and around 20 ballistic missiles were launched this year,” South Korea’s MND said in a written statement. “We face a severe security situation.”

“The necessity of upgrading the system of information cooperation is growing in order to respond to the North’s threat in a more efficient way,” the MND added.

The GSOMIA is expected to be agreed on within the year, and the pact will be the first between the South and Japan since the South was liberated from Japan in 1945, South Korean media DongA Ilbo reported on Thursday.

The MND stressed the importance of the bilateral deal, despite the fact that the U.S., South Korea and Japan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on sharing classified information on North Korea’s missile and nuclear programs in December 2014.

The South’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Tuesday said the issue was raised after the North’s fourth nuclear test on January 6, and that South Korean and Japanese officials had discussed the idea “several times” after the fifth nuclear test on September 9.

But the pact has been put on hold since June 2012. Former South Korean President Lee Myung-bak’s administration had promoted the deal with Japan, but it was canceled 50 minutes before signing amid heated debate over closed-door processes.

Kim Jong-dae, a former policy adviser to the defense minister and a spokesperson for the opposition Justice Party, pointed out that the move was something of a U-turn for Park’s government.

“This is an ‘unusual decision’ since their stance completely changed in less than a month,” Kim told reporters.

The South’s MND showed reservations, while the Japan’s Ministry of Defense underlined the necessity of sharing sensitive military information.

“It’s necessary to set condition prudently [for signing the GSOMIA] considering the special circumstances that the South and Japan face,” South Korean Defense Minister Han Min-koo said on October 5 at a parliamentary audit.

Kim attacked President Park Geun-hye’s administration for attempting to avert public attention from the ongoing political scandal referred to as “Choi Sun-sil gate” by media.

South Korea’s main opposition Minjoo Party on Tuesday voiced opposition, too, casting doubt on the judgment of the scandal-ridden Park administration.

“How can we sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Japan which emphasizes the legitimacy of its past history rather than offer an apology?” Lee Jae-jung, a Minjoo Party spokesperson, told reporters.

“The Blue House should be circumspect. Pushing forward with the agreement by force will spark a larger public revolt.”

Edited by: Oliver Hotham

Featured Image: The Blue House