(VOVworld) – Japan has pledged to respect South Korea's sovereignty while conducting defense and security activities. The pledge came during the two-plus-two dialogue on Tuesday amid rising concerns about the scheduled revision to the defense cooperation guideline between Tokyo and Washington in late April, which would allow Japan to exercise its right to collective self-defense.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe explains cases in which Japan needs to exercise the right to collective self-defense (Photo: The Asahi Shimbun)

It may also mean that Japanese forces could be sent to the Korean Peninsula to assist US forces in case of emergency, such as conflict with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. South Korea stressed the importance of the transparent revision of those laws and guidelines to relieve doubts and concerns from neighboring countries, to contribute to regional peace and stability. It also emphasized that South Korea will never tolerate any Japanese moves that may harm South Korea’s security and national benefit. Japan vowed to push for the process of revising the defense cooperation guidelines between Japan and the US and Japan's security-related laws in a transparent manner and in accordance with the spirit of its peaceful constitution.