The Constitutional Court has dismissed a petition against the Moon Jae-in government's decision to terminate a bilateral military information-sharing pact with Japan, judicial officials said Monday.
A group of conservative lawyers and retired military generals filed a constitutional petition on Oct. 15, arguing the government's move not to renew the General Security of Military Information Agreement with Japan, set to expire on Nov. 22, is against the Constitution, due to its possible violation of people's rights to life and pursuit of happiness.
But the Constitutional Court has recently rejected the petition without hearing the case, the officials said. The court usually dismisses a constitutional petition that is deemed not lawfully filed or not subject to its judgment.
(Yonhap)
"The GSOMIA case cannot be an issue for constitutional petition. It is difficult to say people's basic rights were violated due to the failure to observe procedures stipulated in the Constitution or the National Assembly Law," the court was quoted as saying.
"It is difficult to acknowledge that the termination of GSOMIA will result in South Korea being engulfed in an invasive war in the future. It cannot be said that there is a possibility of the end of the accord violating people's rights to life and pursuit of happiness," it said.
Earlier on Aug. 22, the Moon government declared its decision not to renew GSOMIA with Japan, saying continuation of the accord on the exchanges of sensitive military intelligence won't conform to South Korea's national interests. (Yonhap)
