Seoul demands a say in Japan's 'collective self-defence'

Japan's push to beef up its military through constitutional revision should not infringe upon South Korea's sovereignty, a Seoul official said, urging Washington to reflect Seoul's position in upgrading its joint defense guidelines with Tokyo. In early October, United States Secretary of State John Kerry and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel agreed with Japan on a plan to review upgrading the guidelines for U.S.-Japan defense cooperation, voicing support for Tokyo's move to rewrite or reinterpret its pacifist constitution to obtain the right to "collective self-defense." Japan's constitution, drawn up by the U.S. in 1947 following the end of World War II, limits the role of Japan's military to self-defense, banning the former colonial power from using its force in settling international disputes overseas.