South Korea and Japan signed a pact on Wednesday to share military intelligence to better counter mounting nuclear and missile threats from North Korea.

    Defense Minister Han Min-koo and Japanese Ambassador to Seoul Yasumasa Nagamine officially signed the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) at the defense ministry in Seoul, (Yonhap) news agency reported.

    The final signing comes less than a month after discussions resumed on Oct. 27, following a hiatus of four years. They tentatively signed the pact last week. "The pact will allow South Korea to directly share information on Pyongyang obtained by Japan without having to go through the United States. It will help restrain Pyongyang's nuclear and missile development programs," South Korean Defense Ministry spokesman Moon Sang-kyun told reporters.

    Under the intelligence-sharing agreement, the two countries will share information regarding nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches by the North, and the communist regime's military activities, the defense ministry said.

Source: QNA