US top military chief Mark Milley to mediate between S.Korea, Japan

A top US military official will put efforts to mediate between Seoul and Tokyo on his first overseas trip on the job. According to the US Department of Defence, on November 11, U.S. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said South Korea and Japan while en route the region that it is their interest to keep all three of them very closely aligned. It is the first overseas trip since he first assumed office on September 30, which reflected concern among the US officials over the rising tensions between its two Asian allies. Milley said they have to work together to overcome the struggles in such a way that will be helpful to the alliance.

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Milley to put efforts to mediate diplomatic affairs

According to the US media reports, Milley is expected to first visit Japan before visiting other locations covered by the US Indo-Pacific Command. Milley's visit will be a fresh start to put efforts to mediate the diplomatic affairs between South Korea and Japan. The relationship between the Asian neighbours has shown a sharp decline after South Korea's top court ordered Japanese firms to pay compensation to forced labourers during  Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule of the Korean Peninsula.
Japan has claimed that the rulings are not in accordance with international law and run contrary to the foundation of friendly and cooperative relations between the two neighbours since the 1965 normalization of diplomatic ties.

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Milley to meet PM Shinzo Abe

Milley will be in Japan for two days of meetings from November 11, which will include discussions with his military counterpart and Shinzo Abe, the Japanese Prime Minister. He is then expected to travel to Seoul for a trilateral meeting with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts. Seoul claimed that giving up the pact would not undermine security and has suggested that the agreement has not been in use. The South Korean defence minister, Jeong Kyeong-doo has said that the officials have been seeking information from Japan under the pact following a North Korean missile test. Milley's visit to Asia comes as Washington and Seoul renegotiate the agreement that determines how much each country contributes to the cost of hosting 28,500 US troops stationed in South Korea. Trump has frequently blamed Japan and South Korea for not paying enough to host US forces and has publicly claimed the possibility of withdrawing troops.
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