S Korean FM not briefed about military deal with Japan

South Korean Foreign Minister Kim Sung-hwan said Wednesday he was not briefed in detail about the Cabinet's decision to secretively pass a landmark military pact with Japan late last month, apologizing to the parliament again over the mishandling of the sensitive agreement. Kim made the remark during a meeting of the parliamentary foreign affairs committee, which was held to look into who was responsible for the botched attempt to sign the military intelligence-sharing deal and whether it is necessary to go ahead with the signing of such a pact with Tokyo, (Yonhap) News Agency reported today. The deal was put on hold late last month as ruling and opposition parties urged the government to report the matter to the parliament first before making the next step. When asked whether he had been aware of the Cabinet's plan to approve it in a closed-door meeting on June 26, Kim said he didn't know because he was accompanying President Lee Myung-bak on a trip to South American nations at the time.