韓国、２１日にも最終結論　ＧＳＯＭＩＡ失効回避の可否

　【ソウル時事】韓国大統領府は、日韓軍事情報包括保護協定（ＧＳＯＭＩＡ）の失効（２３日午前０時）をめぐり、２１日にも国家安全保障会議（ＮＳＣ）の常任委員会を開き、最終的な結論を出す見通しだ。協定の失効回避を目指し、韓国側が働き掛けているとの見方もあり、日韓の当局者が水面下でぎりぎりのやりとりを続けている可能性もある。
　「協定終了の事態を避けられるなら、最後の瞬間まで日本と努力する」
　文在寅大統領は１９日夜、テレビ出演でこう発言し、問題解決への意欲をアピールした。ただし協定破棄の決定は「日本が原因を提供した」と改めて指摘し、見直しには輸出管理措置をめぐる日本側の対応が必要との考えを強調。従来の立場を変えることはなかった。
　こうした中で、ソウルの複数の外交筋の間で期待されているのは、日韓両政府が失効期限を暫定的に延長する案。しかし日本側が「韓国側に賢明な対応を求めていきたい」（菅義偉官房長官）と強硬姿勢を貫いているため、韓国としては譲歩しにくいのが現状だ。
　協定失効期限と重なる２２～２３日には、名古屋で２０カ国・地域（Ｇ２０）外相会議が開かれる。韓国政府は康京和外相の出席を明らかにしておらず、日韓間の駆け引きの一環ともみられる。（2019/11/20-20:25）

The South Korean government is expected to hold a standing committee meeting of its National Security Council on Thursday to reach a final conclusion on the handling of its military information-sharing pact with Japan, which is set to expire soon following Seoul's decision in August not to renew it.
   The South Korean side is approaching Japan in an effort to prevent the bilateral General Security of Military Information Agreement, or GSOMIA, from lapsing, some sources said, adding that government officials of the two countries may be holding eleventh-hour talks behind the scenes. Following the August decision, the Japan-South Korea GSOMIA is set to expire at midnight Friday (3 p.m. GMT).
   South Korean President Moon Jae-in said on television Tuesday he will make efforts with Japan until the very last moment to keep the pact in place. At the same time, however, Moon reiterated Seoul's position that it will not review the decision to scrap the pact unless Tokyo ends its tightening of export controls on South Korea.
   Some diplomatic sources in Seoul are now hoping that the two governments will agree to provisionally extend the GSOMIA expiration date. But some say that the South Korean side may find it difficult to make concessions after high-ranking Japanese officials, including Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the country's top government spokesman, have urged Seoul to act wisely over the matter.
   On Friday and Saturday, the Group of 20 advanced and emerging economies, including the two East Asian countries, are scheduled to hold a meeting of their foreign ministers in the central Japan city of Nagoya. But the South Korean government has yet to announce the participation by its foreign minister, Kang Kyung-wha, in the gathering, apparently as part of its bargaining strategy.